Portret van Julienne Morell 1747 - 1782

Emanuel Eichel made this portrait of Julienne Morell using etching techniques. Immediately, your eye is drawn to the oval frame surrounding Julienne's face, which offers a sense of enclosure and focus. The lines are finely detailed, creating subtle tonal variations that define her features and clothing. The background is created using a hatched pattern, and it contrasts with the smoother areas of her face to bring Julienne forward. Below the portrait, the etched nameplate declares her identity, fixing her within the historical record. This work can be seen as an early form of structuralism through art by using visual language to structure and communicate meaning within a specific cultural context. The etching is less about individual expression and more about encoding Julienne's identity for posterity.