Zelfportret c. 1785 - 1833

Curator: Here we have Jean Bernard’s “Zelfportret,” or self-portrait, likely dating between 1785 and 1833. It's a pencil drawing on what looks like toned paper, currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Ah, yes, this drawing...it feels intimate, like stumbling upon someone’s personal musings. There’s a certain melancholic air about it, almost fragile. Curator: I think that feeling of intimacy is really important, and speaks to how portraiture at the time was being used to convey interiority and identity. Romanticism certainly valued the individual experience, and we can see this play out in portraiture through posture, expression and physiognomy. Bernard situates himself in the sketch as a learned intellectual. Editor: Absolutely. It is a sketch; there is something unfinished. But the artist did choose to present this specific, particular view of himself for scrutiny. I imagine that what might appear casual reveals a deeper deliberation, the cultivation of a certain persona in the act of self-observation. Do you feel it speaks to themes of artistic identity, that persistent pull between what you project and what you truly feel inside? Curator: It absolutely speaks to artistic identity. While the piece is unfinished, the attention to detail in the hair and beard suggests the subject understood the power of Romantic aesthetics. And by emphasizing those features, we begin to unpack Romantic-era concepts of the "self" that privileged inward, reflective sentiment as authentic and revealing. In its unfinished state, it offers an uncanny glimpse into the performativity of selfhood. Editor: Yes! The eyes looking off to the side, into some internal abyss, add to that sentiment. And perhaps we as the viewers are catching the artist at a particular moment of contemplation. Well, in considering his artistic aims, and broader societal context, I think that I find that it draws me closer. Curator: I agree, the intersection of the artist, the historical period, and its presentation of the artist is incredibly captivating. This small sketch gives us insight into how people viewed themselves, but perhaps more intriguingly, it reflects the aspirations of the era.