The Right Hon. Gustavus Lord Viscount Boyne &c. 1794

Editor: This is "The Right Hon. Gustavus Lord Viscount Boyne &c.," an engraving by William Hogarth from 1794, residing at the Met. The figure has this almost unsettlingly relaxed posture... kind of like a cat draped over a chair. It strikes me as very self-assured, but with a touch of something…wry? How do you read it? Curator: Ah, the languid Lord Boyne! For me, engravings are always like peeking into another world, aren’t they? This one speaks to the performance of power. Notice how Hogarth's fine lines almost revel in the textures of the fabrics – the waistcoat, the coat. It's a show of status, but there's that slight…slump. A tiny crack in the facade, perhaps? Do you see that almost caricatured Cupid relief to his side? Editor: The Cupid is really subtle! I almost missed it. So, you see a sort of critique even amidst the pomp? Curator: Hogarth was a master of nuance. It’s as if he is saying, "Yes, he’s powerful, wealthy, but look closer." See that walking stick – does it really look like he needs the support, or is it merely another accessory? There is a light mockery that almost satirises him, as it reminds me that these markers of wealth do not change our humanness. How much is posture, and how much is personality? Editor: That’s a great point about the walking stick! It completely reframes my interpretation. I initially just saw confidence, but now I see…performance. Curator: Exactly! It’s all performance, isn’t it? These grand portraits are less about immortalizing a person and more about projecting an image, selling a narrative. Next time you visit the Met, perhaps seek it out; observe his eyes up close. And it’s interesting that he is not painted, only in print, and how print served as an inexpensive way to proliferate art at the time. How do you feel about it now? Editor: I definitely see more layers now. It's not just a straightforward portrait, it's a comment on status and the theater of power, with a side of Cupid thrown in for good measure. Thanks!