Portret van Johannes ab Almeloveen 1678

Editor: So, this is a portrait of Johannes ab Almeloveen, made in 1678, an engraving now hanging in the Rijksmuseum. It strikes me as quite somber; there's a weight to the subject's gaze. What do you make of it? Curator: It's funny you say that – weight. Because when *I* look at this engraving, I think of light. The way the engraver – Johannes himself, it seems! – coaxes these shades of grey to capture Almeloveen’s likeness is pretty clever, don't you think? I imagine him, bending over his work, trying to almost breathe *life* into the face with delicate hatching, creating highlights with a burnisher on the copperplate... Doesn't that make you wonder about the process? Editor: Definitely! It's incredible to think of that level of detail and care in each line. I hadn't really thought about that! The light kind of feels trapped though... trapped in that small space. Curator: Good observation! It *is* small. But also a powerful representation of its time. Consider the rigid Protestantism of the era, the importance of likeness. It's less about pure artistic expression, more about documenting – perhaps solidifying Almeloveen's legacy? It gives a particular weight to the act, don't you agree? Editor: Yes, and knowing that the subject created the artwork himself also gives a sense of, maybe, a controlling of his own legacy? Curator: Exactly! Think of it as, I'll freeze myself, define myself as the subject for posterity, forever. But maybe it's not so rigid and about control. To sit down, and examine every single detail, almost in microscopic clarity. And decide, almost divinely, what of you will stay here. Editor: Wow, never thought about it like that, a man carving his own face into time...I like that idea better, much more intriguing! Curator: Art history – a bit like looking in the mirror, I think. Or maybe like distorting that image to the way you desire. Editor: I'll remember that...distorted or not, it does make for a very memorable face!