Portret van jezuïet Johannes (Jan) Berchmans 1621 - 1633

Curator: There’s a powerful stillness emanating from this 17th-century print. It's titled "Portret van Jezuïet Johannes (Jan) Berchmans", placing a spotlight on a Jesuit, rendered by Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert sometime between 1621 and 1633. Editor: Indeed, and that stillness is profoundly unsettling! The heavy shadows, the stark contrast between light and dark... It lends a rather somber and weighty atmosphere. Curator: Absolutely. Bolswert masterfully uses symbols that were deeply ingrained in the cultural and spiritual understanding of the time. Consider the skull. Editor: Ah yes, that memento mori tradition. Placed so prominently in the foreground, it forces viewers to confront the transient nature of life. How was this imagery being leveraged in this period, socially? Curator: Prints like this played a vital role in disseminating images and ideas during the Counter-Reformation. By presenting Berchmans in a state of devout contemplation with his crucifix, rosary and religious book Bolswert encourages imitation. Editor: I notice the interplay of light and shadow; particularly that light illuminating an image of Mary with the Christ child above him. The gaze seems meant to draw our eyes heavenward. Curator: Precisely. This strategic composition invites viewers to see Berchmans as a model of piety. Bolswert emphasizes both worldly and divine allegiances for those caught up in this socio-religious and politically fraught period. Editor: I'm especially struck by Berchmans pointing with one finger toward that memento mori while simultaneously, seemingly lost in reverie and thought, his other arm wrapped around the crucifix. His robes look almost as heavy as this task must have felt! Curator: The artist really knew how to draw meaning from existing conventions of art history in a novel, meaningful way, for the era and viewers of his work. Editor: It does makes me wonder about the image's immediate impact, versus how it affects audiences viewing this today at the Rijksmuseum, removed from the urgent battles Bolswert and others would have faced at the time. Curator: The weight of tradition, cultural memory – they linger, don't they? And so, Bolswert’s “Portret van Jezuïet Johannes (Jan) Berchmans” provides much to consider about both the man and the age that forged him. Editor: I agree. An image can have many lives; how a work engages a viewer is a reminder that an artwork isn't just a snapshot but rather part of a longer narrative.