Portret van Philips de Schone 1704 - 1765

Curator: Let’s spend a moment with this rather formal portrait by Jan Lauwryn Krafft, titled "Portret van Philips de Schone"—or, Portrait of Philip the Handsome—which dates roughly from 1704 to 1765. Editor: He looks... contained. I mean, within the oval frame, and then the platform beneath. There’s a feeling of being encased, wouldn't you say? Like a perfectly preserved specimen. And he's swimming in luxurious fur and fabric! I wonder about the conditions required for such a display. Curator: Encased is an interesting way to put it. Consider this: it's a print, likely an engraving. The making of it involved immense physical labor, hours hunched over a metal plate, incising lines in reverse. Editor: So it is, in its own way, a kind of...precious commodity made for the public eye. A multiplication of prestige. Curator: Precisely! The engraving medium democratizes access, spreading the image of Philip the Handsome to a wider audience. Note the detailed inscription at the base; Krafft carefully renders not just the man but also his lineage and accomplishments. Editor: And his claim to power. I am trying to imagine those tiny details carved into a metal plate... Who was commissioning these? And for what purposes? It makes me wonder about the role of prints like this in shaping public perception, constructing these narratives of royalty for consumption by the masses. The work is made up of miniscule incisions, and then it ends up mass produced; so each becomes something like an ant carrying weight... fascinating to consider! Curator: Yes! You highlight so perfectly the contradiction there...a unique perspective of repetitive acts. And thinking of impact, and in more symbolic ways, beyond the material, that's exactly it: these portraits reinforced dynastic claims, visually communicating power and legitimacy. Editor: Hmm... And in turn, Krafft and the whole apparatus of making become instruments in that assertion of legitimacy, and those carefully chosen and repetitive lines turn the creator into something like a conveyor.   Curator: It's all about production! It seems that these engravings offer us more to reflect upon together with each glance. Editor: Absolutely.