De Staalmeesters 1844 - 1845

Henricus Wilhelmus Couwenberg created this aquatint print, "De Staalmeesters," in the early 19th century. It echoes Rembrandt’s iconic painting of the same name, but Couwenberg's rendering omits the figures' faces, transforming the reading of the image. What does it mean to represent authority without identity? The original painting conveyed the power and status of the depicted cloth inspectors through their individual expressions and postures. Couwenberg's print, made during a time of significant social upheaval and revolution in Europe, seems to question the very nature of authority. Without the markers of individual identity, the "Staalmeesters" become anonymous representatives of a system, perhaps inviting us to consider who gets to be seen, and who remains unseen, in the machinations of power. Couwenberg removes the individual, encouraging us to meditate on the abstract and often invisible forces that shape our societies.