Standbeeld van Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg 1728

Curator: Look at this! This is "Standbeeld van Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg", or "Statue of Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg," an engraving done in 1728 by Bernard Picart. What’s your first take? Editor: Stark, imposing, even a little lonely. It feels like power frozen in monochrome. The stark contrast in values heightens the monumental quality. Curator: Exactly! The figure atop that incredibly detailed pedestal, he looks down almost arrogantly from such heights. Notice the way the clouds mimic his cloak. What symbolic resonance do you gather? Editor: The statue, of course, is an established convention for commemorating figures of great standing. Yet Picart positions the statue on a hill facing toward a distant city, evoking that feeling of historical importance, as well as geographic control and mastery of terrain. The windswept pose and landscape evoke not only authority, but vulnerability as well. Curator: Yes, this almost theatrical, Baroque style adds drama to the message. What is he guarding over, exactly? And the landscape really contrasts with the intricacies of the sculpture itself. Editor: The distant fortress underlines this subject's importance as a military leader and the landscape acts as a subtle reminder of the arena in which that leadership would have played out. Notice the placement of the inscription too, almost demanding to be deciphered by those who approach it. There’s a definite dialogue intended with posterity. Curator: I am compelled by the tension between vulnerability and victory; a man raised up is brought low by time. Does it prompt any broader reflections? Editor: It reminds us how portraits are never quite ‘truthful’ but instead are highly constructed artifacts, that invite us to question who they were for, what they meant to say, and who they deliberately exclude. This print makes tangible a very interesting negotiation between memory, power, and mortality.