Portret van Johann Friedrich Meckel 1774 - 1784

Johann Friedrich Schleuen made this portrait of Johann Friedrich Meckel with etching. We can see the visual language of the 18th-century German Enlightenment in this image. Meckel is framed within an oval, gazing confidently outward. Below, symbols of learning are placed: books and an anatomical model refer to the subject's profession. The snake biting its tail—an Ouroboros—likely represents cyclicality and wholeness. But this is not only a depiction of a learned individual. It is a statement about the importance of scientific knowledge. This was a time when intellectuals believed in the power of reason to improve society. Meckel was a renowned anatomist, so Schleuen is emphasizing the value of empirical research. To understand the image further, one might investigate the history of scientific illustration and the institutions which promoted and regulated it. Images such as this reflect the changing social status of scientists during the Enlightenment.