Portret van Henry Scheffer c. 1805 - 1908

This small portrait of Henry Scheffer was etched by an anonymous artist. Though his name has been lost to history, the fact that the artist created this intimate, detailed print suggests a connection between the two men. Scheffer, a successful painter in his own right, came from a family of artists. The portrait captures him in a way that emphasizes his status and intellect. The ascot, the cut of his jacket, and his carefully groomed beard speak to a certain bourgeois sensibility. We might ask ourselves how Scheffer navigated the art world of his time. Prints like these were often made to circulate images of notable people, fixing their likeness in the public's imagination. But the small scale and detailed etching invites a more personal encounter, a quiet moment of reflection on the man and his world.