Portret van Figuelmont Possibly 1831 - 1838

Curator: Here we have Jacob Joseph Eeckhout’s “Portret van Figuelmont,” a pencil drawing from the early to mid-1830s currently held in the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: There’s a kind of vulnerable austerity to it, isn’t there? The light pencil work almost softens the severity of his military dress. Curator: Precisely. The drawing is an intriguing artifact of the era, depicting a man, likely an officer given the uniform and embellishments. The artist, Eeckhout, was well-regarded for his portraiture, moving within the higher circles of society at that time. The level of detail in the facial features is rather striking. Editor: Absolutely. But looking closer, it also exposes something of the power structures inherent in portraiture. Figuelmont is portrayed with a rather grandiose feather headdress. This speaks volumes about class and status and about the role of the military and military portraits in upholding certain ideals during that period. Curator: And note the inscription above the subject’s head indicating specific colours like ‘plume noir’ (black plume) – those annotations were perhaps meant for a future colourist working on a full painted rendering, so possibly the portrait served a functional, pre-production purpose. Editor: Right. Those added notes and textual directions further expose the labour behind images like these, the layers of work often unseen in finished works, reinforcing how images don’t arise in a vacuum but from a space where many are involved. What did military service mean for someone like him, for his community? I’m very curious about that context. Curator: That's a valuable perspective, highlighting the portrait as a staged representation with a political and social purpose, well beyond pure likeness. The inscription points towards artistic practices of the time and provides material context. Editor: It also offers a small point of access. As an activist, I want to leverage any access I can get into historical material and put pressure on these historical hegemonies, bringing social awareness to the forefront, making history speak to a more democratic present and future. Curator: And through that social awareness, art engages directly with the concerns of contemporary audiences, fostering civic dialogue and helping people reconsider dominant cultural narratives and beliefs. Editor: Precisely. This image, with its quiet and intense presence, provokes important discussion about hierarchy, about labour, about what it means to look and be looked at.