Portret van Jöns Jacob Berzelius

Carel Christiaan Antony Last created this portrait of Jöns Jacob Berzelius using lithography. It’s interesting to consider portraiture during this period as a means of constructing and solidifying identity, particularly for those in positions of power or influence. Berzelius, a celebrated chemist, is depicted with a certain gravitas, his image carefully curated to project intellect and authority. The lithographic technique itself, with its capacity for reproducibility, democratized image-making, yet it also perpetuated a visual hierarchy. What does it mean to have one’s likeness captured and disseminated? For Berzelius, it was undoubtedly a tool for cementing his legacy. But for the countless individuals whose stories went unrecorded, un-pictured, what narratives were lost? This portrait invites us to reflect on the power dynamics inherent in representation and the selective nature of history itself.