Abstract
In a chapter that hones in on certain Renaissance portraits by Hans
Holbein, Giorgione, and Jan van Scorel, Hans Maes examines how it
is that we can be deeply moved by such portraits, despite (or perhaps
because of) the fact that we don’t know anything about their sitters.
Standard explanations in terms of the revelation of an inner self or the
recreation of a physical presence prove to be insuffi cient. Instead, Maes
provides a more rounded account of what makes said portraits moving
and memorable, thereby relying on Barthes’ notion of ‘punctum,’ James
Elkins’ account of why people cry in front of paintings, and a phenomenological
exploration of the parallel between portraiture and the tradition
of the Vanitas painting.