Portret van Olpherdus Fuyck (Olfert Fuchs?) before 1602

Curator: Oh, what a striking likeness! We’re looking at a portrait print of Olpherdus Fuyck, or perhaps Olfert Fuchs, rendered before 1602 by Floris Balthasarsz van Berckenrode. It resides here with us at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: The precision! It’s amazing. The overall feeling is incredibly formal, and a touch somber; the collar alone is a fortress of starch. The material detail is breathtaking, too. Curator: Absolutely. Berckenrode’s Northern Renaissance style really emphasizes form and line; those finely engraved details create a world of texture in simple black and white. Editor: Observe how the patterned sleeves draw the eye downward, but then the ruff pulls you right back up to that severe, intelligent gaze. There's an interesting tension between the man and his rigid clothes. The ornate decorative details around the border contrast greatly with the crisp focus within. Curator: The formality tells you something about the sitter, right? Probably a man of importance, someone keen on projecting authority and status, and who has a real eye for art. That said, that slightly mischievous glint in his eye suggests a dash of humour as well. It gives me the sense that while he certainly played the role expected of him in public, he might have enjoyed subverting those expectations now and again. Editor: And the semiotics are at play! Each aspect has a meaning, so yes I would have to agree with your assessment. A man’s identity, fixed forever. And it has definitely survived the test of time. Curator: Isn't that what portraits do? Capture a fleeting moment and, through skill and interpretation, allow us to engage with a person across the centuries? Berckenrode, for me, managed that particularly well in this. You sense Olfert’s essence somehow. Editor: In truth, it's a very self-aware capturing. Curator: Perhaps we’ve been captured too, even after all this time!