Zelfportret c. 1785 - 1833

Editor: Here we have Jean Bernard's "Self-Portrait," a pencil drawing likely made sometime between 1785 and 1833. It's striking how simple it is, just lines on paper, yet it feels so intimate. What do you see when you look at this piece? Curator: What interests me is the apparent ease of production. Pencil drawings, during this period, highlight a shift in artistic accessibility. No longer solely reliant on costly paints and extensive studio practices, artists – and those aspiring to be – could create portraits with relative ease. Consider the socio-economic implications of readily available, affordable materials. Who could now afford to produce images, and how did this democratization of image-making affect artistic value? Editor: So, you're saying the materials themselves played a role in changing who could be an artist? Curator: Precisely! Think about the Romantic era it aligns with – a period focused on individual expression. The pencil allowed for spontaneity and direct engagement, but also brings the applied arts into view. Is this drawing purely "high art," or something more akin to craft due to its accessible nature? It raises questions about labor and skill: where does "art" truly reside? Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn’t considered how the accessibility of pencil drawing could blur those lines. It makes you think about the process differently. Curator: Indeed. The materials and method become central to understanding the work's context, production, and perhaps even its intended audience and function. This isn't just about admiring a portrait, but questioning how it came into being and what that tells us about the art world and society at the time. Editor: I’ll definitely look at other drawings with these points in mind! Thanks. Curator: A pleasure! Now consider the paper too; was it handmade? Purchased from a mill? These seemingly minor details greatly impact our understanding of this portrait as an object of labor, commerce, and creativity.