Johan Starbus

Johan Starbus spent his life hunched over a workbench, hammering metal into portraits instead of paint on canvas. The trick was chasing light across hammered silver—one gentle tap at a time. If you’ve ever seen a museum portrait that looks almost alive in the way it glows, this is the guy who made it possible. Look for *Kuningatar Ulrika Eleonora nuorempi* in the metalwork section; the way the silver catches the gallery lights will make you forget it’s not painted at all.