Portret van Jan Six 1731 - 1775

Editor: So here we have "Portrait of Jan Six," a print from somewhere between 1731 and 1775, housed at the Rijksmuseum. It’s a full-body portrait, almost genre-painting-esque. It feels quite intimate, but also posed, and I am intrigued by its process and production as a print, specifically. How do we consider the material creation of it? Curator: Exactly! Let's dig into that. As an engraving, this wasn't a unique object; it existed in multiples. The labour involved, the skills of the engraver – Smith, here, after Rembrandt – and the very *idea* of mass-produced imagery become central. The market for these prints allowed for a broader dissemination of imagery beyond paintings, correct? How do we consider the impact on audiences in the Dutch Golden Age who maybe couldn't see the painting themselves? Editor: That makes sense. So the accessibility and reproduction of it completely changes our perspective, removing the preciousness we may attach to painting. Would we also then consider who *consumed* it, and why? Curator: Absolutely! Who purchased these portraits, how were they displayed, and what did they signify to the owners? This engraving offered a kind of vicarious association with wealth and culture for those who bought it, a reproduction of someone's elite portrait available for consumption in the art market, right? But doesn’t that challenge the romantic notion of the singular, genius artist? It also raises questions of copyright, and artistic license of secondary creators such as print makers? Editor: That definitely reframes how I see the portrait - no longer just as an image of one man, but part of a whole system of creation, labor and dissemination. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, seeing the artwork embedded in its process reveals far more than simply looking at the face!