Portret van Jean Sifrein Maury c. 1788 - 1805

Editor: This is a print called "Portrait of Jean Sifrein Maury" by Jean Baptiste Vérité, created sometime between 1788 and 1805. It's an engraving, and I'm immediately struck by how formal and almost severe the portrait feels, despite the soft curves of the oval frame. What catches your eye when you look at it? Curator: Well, for me, this print whispers of revolution. Think about it – this man, Maury, was a prominent figure right on the cusp of monumental change in France. You see that steely gaze? Perhaps it holds a premonition, a subtle acknowledgement that the world as he knows it is about to be completely upended. Editor: Revolution, really? I was just seeing a pretty standard Neoclassical portrait. I hadn't considered that context. Curator: Absolutely! The clean lines, the controlled composition – all that’s textbook Neoclassicism, right? But contrast that with the unrest simmering beneath the surface of French society at the time. Does the somber tone hint at anything to you? It’s almost as if Vérité, the artist, captured a moment of poised tension before the storm broke. What is he trying to hide, or perhaps reveal, about his sitter? Editor: Now that you mention it, there’s a certain… seriousness about the piece that goes beyond mere formality. The way his eyes are cast... It makes me want to know more about Maury himself and how he navigated the revolution. I think I had him pegged all wrong. Curator: Precisely! It’s a wonderful reminder that art, even portraiture, is rarely just about appearances. It’s about the person, about power, and the era from which it sprang! It prompts us to see the bigger picture. Editor: This has really changed how I'll look at portraits from now on.