Girolamo Mautin di Narni c. 17th century

Curator: This is Claude Mellan's portrait of Girolamo Mautin di Narni. There's no date for the work itself, but Mellan lived from 1598 to 1688. Editor: Wow, it feels very... deliberate. The man seems to be offering a lesson, or perhaps delivering an edict. Curator: He's pointing to text, so there is definitely symbolic importance to the written word. Editor: I love the cross-hatching; it gives the image a feeling of texture, like I could reach out and feel the roughness of his cloak. It emphasizes the material presence, almost sacramental. Curator: Indeed, this texture anchors the subject, giving gravity to his position and importance. Editor: It's like he's saying, "This is real. This matters." Which is very powerful, even now. Curator: It makes you wonder about the passage he's indicating and the enduring impact of his message.