Portret van Johann Will 1648 - 1663

Editor: So, we’re looking at this engraving called "Portret van Johann Will," made sometime between 1648 and 1663. It’s striking how formal it is, almost austere. All those precisely etched lines create such a serious mood. What jumps out at you when you see it? Curator: It feels like peering into another world, doesn't it? That northern-Renaissance detail, all those meticulously rendered textures... It whispers of intellectual rigor and perhaps a dash of merchantile pride, doesn't it? Look at the sitter holding what seems to be a book, the subtle shadowing… Makes me wonder about Will’s story, the societal role, doesn’t it? Do you get a sense of narrative here, or more one of posed formality? Editor: I see formality for sure, but also that hint of narrative. He’s not *just* posing, you know? I mean, holding the book seems deliberate. Was he, perhaps, trying to present himself as scholarly or pious? Curator: Exactly! And look at the inscription around the portrait. It’s not just decoration, is it? Think about what the act of commissioning a portrait meant then. It was about legacy, solidifying one’s place. The text tells us more; ‘his posthumous fame teaches…'. The text combined with those intense eyes; they compel you to remember this man, Johannes Will, Ecceles. Almost a plea across time, don't you think? What are your closing thoughts about that message? Editor: That's such an interesting thought, legacy! Now, when I look at this, I don't just see a formal portrait; I see someone wanting to be remembered and seen in a specific light. Curator: And that interplay, that careful construction of self for posterity, is what keeps these old portraits alive for me.