Portret van Justus Jonas 1597 - 1599

Editor: So, this engraving is "Portret van Justus Jonas" by Robert Boissard, created sometime between 1597 and 1599. It’s currently at the Rijksmuseum. I’m immediately struck by the seriousness of the man’s gaze and how he holds that small book. What significance do you find in this portrait? Curator: I see a powerful assertion of intellectual identity. The book, naturally, is central – not just as an object of learning, but as a symbol of divine authority. Look at how Jonas cradles it; it’s almost an extension of himself. It declares his profession but the text inscribed on the book reminds of cultural legacy. Who do you think this portrait would be displayed for? Editor: I suppose it would be displayed in a library, a university, or maybe even his home as a status symbol and commemoration for following generations? Curator: Precisely! Placement mattered so much in these engravings. But what about the architectural details flanking the portrait? Do those details also tell you something of Jonas' status and accomplishments? Editor: The pillars and the cherubs – it gives him a godly status or association to learning and perhaps a high moral ground, similar to what would adorn royalty. And how the image sits within the perfect symmetry of the arch and right angles? Curator: Yes! Symmetry often speaks to a divinely ordained order. By consciously connecting this one reformer with cultural heroes and the great thinkers that come before him, Boissard uses portraiture to embed Justus Jonas within a much larger historical narrative. In effect, giving this engraving a spiritual dimension and placing it far beyond being *just* a picture of one man. What do you make of the box of tools shown? Editor: So, it represents more than just a person; it carries centuries of visual, social, and cultural echoes. The text gives it cultural memory. Now that you mention the tools, perhaps his life wasn’t solely books, but physical work too? Curator: That's insightful! Portraits like these remind us how carefully constructed identity always is. Editor: Definitely! Thanks, I hadn’t thought about it that way before. It gives me an additional perspective to analyse in later pieces too!