Portret van Claude de Forbin 1835 - 1837

Curator: This print, housed here at the Rijksmuseum, offers us a glimpse into the past. Titled "Portret van Claude de Forbin," it was created between 1835 and 1837 by Victor Florence Pollet, using the technique of engraving. Editor: My first thought? Brooding. There's something theatrical and a touch melancholy in that gaze. It’s a stage portrait, almost. And is that *fur*? It looks itchy. Curator: The fur definitely adds to the visual impact! As an engraving, it's a testament to the period’s focus on realism, aiming for accurate representation. Prints such as this were vital for circulating images and establishing a shared visual vocabulary of historical figures. Think of it as proto-internet meme! Editor: I get that, but his pose is killing me. He’s sort of slumped over, one hand propped on that stick. Confident, but exhausted, like he has a world of heavy fur on his shoulders... maybe because he does. Curator: Indeed, clothing was extremely important, visually conveying status and personality in the way many symbols can. He wears what were undoubtedly costly clothes – to indicate rank, while the "stick" represents authority or lineage. Editor: So it's all very performative. I wonder if the artist was subtly undercutting this, pointing out the weight, both literally and metaphorically, of his station in life? Curator: Perhaps. Artists of this time, even while executing formal commissions, could and did imbue their works with individual, and sometimes subversive, viewpoints. Prints circulated so widely that sometimes subtle rebellion could find an enormous audience. Editor: So, not just an internet meme, but a subversive meme?! Knowing that definitely makes the piece feel less stilted. It's always that frisson, right? When the artist seems to wink at you across time. Curator: Precisely. It adds layers to what might appear, at first glance, as a formal representation. It’s an interplay between what is shown, and what’s implied, always offering new interpretations and connecting us with people across generations. Editor: That's really quite moving to think about. Even a seemingly stuffy portrait becomes a human bridge. Curator: A perfect image to linger on and reconsider as we look around.