Portret van een onbekende man met een geplooide kraag en hoed 1731 - 1775

Editor: So here we have "Portrait of an unknown man with a pleated collar and hat," dating from somewhere between 1731 and 1775, made by Richard Houston. It's an engraving. I’m struck by how much the details in the ruff stand out; it looks almost like a separate object. What are your thoughts when you look at this, Professor? Curator: The first thing I notice is the medium itself. Engraving allowed for relatively mass production of images. How does that change our understanding of portraiture during this period? Was it about commemorating the sitter or about circulating an idea of status, even fabricating it, considering it is an unknown man? The material reality of the print – the paper, the ink, the very labor involved in its creation and distribution – is what interests me here. Editor: That's a fascinating point. So, the availability of prints democratized art in some way? But did that accessibility affect the perceived value, either for the sitter or for the patrons who might purchase these engravings? Curator: Exactly. Think about the contrast between this relatively affordable print and a unique, commissioned oil painting of the time. Both served to represent identity and perhaps status, but their materials and production involved different layers of exclusivity and different audiences. Did the act of engraving challenge those rigid categories of fine art by blurring the boundaries of portraiture, making it a commodity, or did it in some ways add a new facet of refinement? Editor: I never considered it like that. It almost seems subversive. I guess I’d just thought of engravings as cheaper versions of paintings. Curator: That’s a very good initial understanding. Consider the labor, the dissemination, and ultimately the accessibility in terms of social implications, and you’ll start to reconsider where you’re placing artistic and financial value. Editor: Thank you. That's a really interesting material perspective to take on a portrait!