Portret van Magdalena Sibylla van Saksen 1624 - 1647

Editor: Here we have a print titled "Portret van Magdalena Sibylla van Saksen," made sometime between 1624 and 1647 by Simon van de Passe. The detail in the engraving is striking, but the overall impression I get is one of formality, even a little stuffiness. What strikes you most about this portrait? Curator: Stuffiness! Oh, I adore that word choice! Yes, there's a rigid elegance here, isn’t there? But imagine the weight of expectation on young Magdalena, a literal crown hovering above her head, even within the frame of the portrait! For me, it’s the delicate balance between the rigid posture expected of royalty and the tender vulnerability in her eyes. Can you sense it? It feels as though she is almost peering out at us. What stories do you imagine she holds within her? Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn’t thought about it that way, focusing on the young woman within the frame instead of just seeing a stiff, posed portrait. Now, I’m considering the line work itself. It feels almost… tentative, or is that just me projecting? Curator: No, not at all! "Tentative" is a fabulous reading. This was before photography, remember. Each line had to carry not just form, but status, personality… the artist’s livelihood, perhaps even the sitter's future! It's like each stroke holds a breath, hoping to capture something of the sitter's essence without offending royal sensibilities. Don’t you find that thought thrilling? Editor: I do now! Thanks to your perspective, I see so much more than I did at first glance. The “stuffiness” now speaks to the constraints of her time and station. Curator: Exactly! It's amazing what a little digging – and a fresh perspective – can unearth. Who knows, perhaps Magdalena herself would chuckle at our discussion.