Portret van F.P. Colthoff 1793 - 1826

This print of F.P. Colthoff, now in the Rijksmuseum, was made by Hendrik Roosing sometime before 1826, the year of his death. It’s an etching, meaning that the image was incised into a metal plate, which was then inked and printed. Look closely, and you can see that everything here is described by lines. Shading is achieved through hatching, with the density of the marks indicating the fall of light. Roosing was evidently a skilled draughtsman; he renders textures such as fur and fabric with careful control. But what to make of the stark contrast between the detailed rendering of Colthoff’s clothing and the blacked-out silhouette of his face? This relates to the social function of prints in this period. They were relatively cheap to produce, and therefore a democratic means of circulating likenesses. But complete accuracy of representation was less important than clear legibility and instant recognition. The starkness of the silhouette, set against the detail surrounding it, lends the image a striking graphic power.