Silhouetportret Jan Brandes junior Possibly 1783 - 1786

This silhouette portrait of Jan Brandes Junior was created by Jan Brandes, using ink on paper. The stark contrast of the solid black figure against the plain background is immediate, and the profile's distinct shape is what defines the portrait. Silhouette portraits like this were a popular and efficient way to capture likenesses. Before the advent of photography, this was a quick, relatively inexpensive method for representing one's image. However, it also demanded a degree of artistic skill to accurately render the subject's defining features. Here, the use of ink is quite expressive, with varying thicknesses of line suggesting the texture of hair and clothing. The artist's hand is evident in the meticulous filling-in of the silhouette, reminding us of the labor involved in pre-industrial image-making. By focusing on process and material, we can appreciate this work not only as a portrait, but also as a relic of a particular moment in the history of image production, blurring the boundaries between craft, design, and art.