Portret van generaal Charles Pichegru 1795

Editor: So, this is a portrait of General Charles Pichegru, created in 1795 by Charles Howard Hodges, here at the Rijksmuseum. It’s a drawing, almost like an engraving, and there's a kind of...solemn nobility about him. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: Oh, absolutely, I love that! I see a man caught between worlds. It's 1795, right? So the French Revolution is still rumbling, neoclassicism is the high style, all sharp lines and moral virtue, but this... this has something more, a hint of vulnerability. See the soft shadows around his eyes? He's a general, yes, but also… a person. You know? Does his expression make you think he carries the weight of the world, or at least, a nation at war? Editor: I see what you mean about the weight. It’s in the brow, perhaps. The details on his jacket—really stunning!—give him this strong presence, almost projecting power. Curator: Exactly! Hodges captures both the ideal and the real. That formal jacket screams status, but the soft lines give it that Neoclassical air, while his gaze feels almost...uncertain. Makes you wonder what he's truly thinking, doesn't it? A drawing can reveal things a grand oil painting sometimes can't. Editor: That’s a good point! It's amazing how the simple use of lines conveys so much! Thanks, I think I’ll look at other neoclassical works for that mix of ideal and real. Curator: You got it! A peek behind the curtain is always a joy, isn’t it? It just takes some well-drawn lines!