Portret van de goudmaker Gabriel Morbis 1579 - 1615

This is Dominicus Custos’s portrait of the alchemist Gabriel Morbis, made using engraving techniques around the late 16th or early 17th century and now held in the Rijksmuseum. The image's impact lies in its play with form and surface. Note how Custos employs line to create a sense of depth and texture, the face rendered with meticulous detail. The portrait is framed within an oval, yet the figure of Morbis seems to push against its boundaries. This tension charges the image. The contrast between the dark background and the lighter tones of Morbis’s face and clothing draws our attention. The ruff around his neck, a complex arrangement of folds, is rendered with remarkable precision. This detail reflects the period's fascination with ornamentation and the visual encoding of status. Custos uses the formal elements of line and form to probe the persona of Gabriel Morbis.