Portret van Louis-Isaac Lemaistre de Sacy 1684 - 1696

Curator: Here at the Rijksmuseum, we have an engraving dating back to between 1684 and 1696. It's Pieter van Schuppen's "Portret van Louis-Isaac Lemaistre de Sacy". What's your first take on this work? Editor: Austere. It’s almost a study in shades of grey, which feels right given the somber mood and what looks to be a cleric depicted. I am immediately drawn to the detailed lines of his face. You can see the wear of the world. Curator: You’ve tuned into the mood perfectly. The lines achieved by the engraving are central. Look how they convey the textures – the fabric of his cloak, the delicate wisps of hair. The process allows for so much detail! Editor: Exactly! The sheer labour that went into this process, etching line after line to build tone and volume... it's a form of devotional practice in itself. It wasn't about spontaneous expression; it was about careful, painstaking work. Think of the materials too – the copperplate, the inks, the paper – each chosen and worked upon deliberately. Curator: And all serving to communicate not just likeness, but something of de Sacy’s spirit, right? He was known for his translation of the Bible and his association with Jansenism, so there's that intense intellectualism in the portrait. He was someone constantly grappling with interpretation and meaning, it seems. Editor: But it's also crucial to remember the social context of printmaking at this time. Engravings like this served a function; they were reproducible, enabling images of important figures to circulate widely, shaping public perception. Curator: You are right, so in essence, Schuppen wasn't just making an artwork; he was manufacturing an image, almost a brand, for a public figure! It makes you think about image management even back then! Editor: Indeed. Seeing art as manufacture, as something materially produced and socially situated, changes everything. I think I see the sitter in a very different way now. Thanks. Curator: Likewise. Recognizing the process, rather than just the aesthetic, reveals so much!