Jean Baptist Boyer, Seigneur d'Aguilles c. 18th century

Curator: Here we have Jacobus Coelemans's engraving of Jean Baptist Boyer, Seigneur d'Aguilles. Quite a mouthful, isn't it? Editor: He looks like he's about to dramatically reveal the secrets to perfect hair. The baroque drama is palpable. Curator: The portrait's composition directs the eye, doesn't it? From the gesturing hand, across the silk robe, and up to that magnificent wig. Editor: The engraver's skill is in the details: the lace, the drape of the fabric. It's all line and texture – a formal dance of black and white. Curator: Yes, Coelemans really captures the subject’s air of confident authority. I feel like he's about to judge me. Editor: It's a performance, isn't it? The posture, the gaze, the implied status. Art as a stage for social identity. Curator: Precisely. It leaves you contemplating the power of image, then and now. Editor: Indeed. A tightly structured piece revealing social structures, quite literally.