Portret van jezuïet Leonardus Lessius 1623

Editor: Here we have "Portret van jezuïet Leonardus Lessius", an engraving created in 1623 by Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert, currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. My first impression is how incredibly detailed it is! You can see every line in his face, the books, everything. What catches your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: Oh, it's funny you say that. The detail is a trap, almost! At first glance, yes, the sheer meticulousness impresses. But then I start to wonder, what's *not* there? The space feels so staged, almost performative. It makes me think about how powerful institutions control narratives – the carefully chosen books, the prominent cross. This wasn't just about portraying a man, but about conveying an *image* of intellectual authority. What do you make of the somewhat cramped composition? Editor: That's a great point. It does feel… curated, for lack of a better word. And now that you mention it, he almost seems trapped by all the detail around him! But does the busyness help project the Baroque era? Curator: Exactly! That tension, the almost overwhelming abundance, that’s the Baroque spirit in a nutshell. Though even then, I feel like Bolswert is also commenting on it. It’s less about glorifying excess and more about dissecting the persona, like watching a philosopher slowly disappear beneath his own carefully constructed world. What does this inspire in *you*, as you consider the present? Editor: Well, I definitely won't be curating my bookshelves for visitors anytime soon! More seriously, though, it's fascinating how this image continues to provoke questions about authority and representation even now. Curator: Indeed! And maybe that's the real genius of it – the conversation it sparks, across centuries. Perhaps it's less a portrait of Lessius, and more a mirror reflecting our own anxieties about truth and image.