Portret van Anne Hilarion de Tourville 1835 - 1837

Editor: This is a print from between 1835 and 1837 by Victor Florence Pollet, titled "Portret van Anne Hilarion de Tourville." It depicts a man in what looks like historical naval attire, using delicate lines. It feels like a very controlled piece, and I'm curious – what's your perspective on this particular work? Curator: Well, let’s look at the means of production here. It's an engraving. Consider the labour involved in creating these intricate lines by hand, pressing them onto paper. How does that labor shape our understanding of portraiture, especially when compared to painting which carries more status? Is this about accessibility or something else entirely? Editor: That's interesting; I hadn’t really thought about the social implications of using printmaking techniques versus painting for portraiture. It’s a romanticized figure, so was printmaking perhaps a way of distributing this idealized image to a wider audience, a form of...propaganda, maybe? Curator: Possibly. Now look at his attire and bearing. Consider what these materials – the fabrics, the embellishments – signify. Are they markers of wealth, power, or both? What message does his attire and that plumed hat convey in a historical context and, furthermore, to the people purchasing prints of him in the 1830's? Are they consuming the past, but manufactured on a larger scale, creating desire around power through the romanticized? Editor: So, you’re saying it’s not just about depicting this person, but about the whole process of making and distributing his image as a commodity, something consumed by society… Curator: Exactly. It's a fascinating intersection of material, labor, and consumption in representing power and history, a commodity we continue to engage with. Editor: That definitely gives me a new appreciation for printmaking and the layers of meaning embedded in something that seems like a simple portrait at first glance. I hadn't considered how materials themselves can influence artistic value. Curator: That is what makes it rich! Paying attention to all elements allows the artwork to speak to different historical times and reveal different cultural values.