Portret van Pieter 't Hoen 1783 - 1795

Editor: So, here we have Reinier Vinkeles' "Portret van Pieter 't Hoen", dating from 1783 to 1795, residing here at the Rijksmuseum. It’s a print, an engraving. It feels very formal, almost…stiff. What jumps out at you about this piece? Curator: The engraving speaks volumes about production and consumption in the late 18th century. Notice the precise lines, the geometric frames. This isn’t just about portraying an individual; it’s about the labour involved in producing this image and its dissemination. What can we infer about the tools and techniques from its appearance? Editor: Well, it's so precise... like each line was carefully considered and etched. Was printmaking a very laborious process back then? Curator: Absolutely. Each line involved manual labour. Copper plates, acids, precise application – it was a skilled craft. Now, consider the context: Neoclassicism. It’s a style often associated with order and reason, reflective of the emerging merchant class and its demands. Is that geometric quality also reflective of enlightenment ideals? Editor: That's a good point! The order and control you see in the image... I never thought about that reflecting societal values. What about the books below? Is there anything interesting we can infer from them? Curator: Precisely! The inclusion of books and quill highlights Pieter 't Hoen’s connection to literature and knowledge. Consider this engraving in comparison to oil painting - a much cheaper and repeatable medium. Also, thinking about these items as commodities traded and consumed offers a very different perspective of it, wouldn't you agree? Editor: It does. I had looked at it just as a historical record of this person, but the materiality really says more about its place in the culture. I'll never look at engravings the same way! Curator: Exactly. By investigating its materiality and modes of production, the engraving comes to represents labour and class!