Portret van Charles Lucas 1755 - 1765

Editor: This is James McArdell’s “Portret van Charles Lucas,” an engraving from somewhere between 1755 and 1765, now residing here at the Rijksmuseum. There's a formality to it, but almost…approachable? I find the soft gradients quite appealing. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: Ah, Charles Lucas, indeed. McArdell captures him with such…deliberate ambiguity. That knowing look, holding what appears to be a persuasive text, ready to win any argument in the streets or inside parliaments... Do you sense that tension between intellectual resolve and, dare I say, a hint of self-satisfaction? That gaze feels incredibly modern to me! Editor: I see what you mean! It’s not just a flat, official portrait. There's something definitely lively behind his eyes, a suggestion of humor, maybe. He looks ready for anything! I hadn't considered how modern his gaze appears – very perceptive. Curator: Perhaps the ambiguity I speak of has roots in the political climate, then. Lucas, with his radical views and political life... did McArdell seek to humanize, critique, immortalize? This print seems to balance reverence with a certain mischievousness, no? I am curious – what’s *your* sense of Lucas? Editor: Now I'm seeing even more layers than I did initially! He isn't just a figurehead; this work emphasizes his own individual humanity in ways I couldn’t see at first. It almost encourages the viewer to form a subjective bond with him. Curator: Precisely! It is as if he will whisper the solutions if we are still enough to hear them, this political giant. Editor: Absolutely! Thank you—I learned so much during our little journey through this print. Curator: The pleasure was entirely mine. Until our next meeting in this sea of artworks.