Portret van Humbert de Superville 1851

Jacobus Ludovicus Cornet made this print of Humbert de Superville sometime in the mid-19th century, though the exact date is unknown. The portrait, rendered with a network of tiny lines, gives us an image of the sitter in his study, illuminated by candlelight. But what does this scene tell us about the cultural world of the Netherlands at this time? Consider the prominence given to the tools of scholarship and the single candle illuminating them. The Dutch Golden Age of the previous century had seen the rise of a wealthy merchant class, and a corresponding investment in education. This print seems to reflect a desire to link its sitter to this history of intellectualism. The Rijksmuseum, where this work now resides, was itself founded in the early 19th century to showcase Dutch art and history. Works like this, along with archival documents, help us to understand how Dutch identity was being shaped at this time.