Fashioning an Identity: A Study of Dutch and Flemish Portraits from the Agnes Etherington Art Centre

Abstract

Portraiture developed as a distinct genre of art during the Renaissance in response to the growing interest in humanism. The new humanist ideal placed emphasis on individual human identity and critical thinking. This interest in the individual resulted in the growth of portraiture. During the early development of this genre, portraits were reserved for the elite and commissioned by members of the aristocracy. The high cost and perceived egotism associated with commissioning a portrait meant that it was not a popular or accessible genre of art for the general public during the Renaissance. This stagnant state of portraiture transformed with the economic growth in the Netherlands during the Seventeenth Century often referred to as the Dutch Golden Age. Dutch international trade created a period of economic prosperity during the Seventeenth Century that resulted in a rapidly expanding middle class. Through investments in trade, individuals began amassing wealth and, in turn, status. The rising middle class combined with a shift away from inherited titles and the aristocracy created a unique social position in the Netherlands whereby status was based on financial wealth and the Dutch could fabricate their own identities. My research examines the use of portraits to shape identity through the study of a selection of portraits from the Agnes Etherington Art Centre. These works can tell the viewer about the sitters’ public and or perceived private life as well as the society they belonged to through the study of their physical appearance, setting, attributes and stylistic choices.