Portret van Magnus Gottfried Lichtwer 1818 - 1832

Friedrich Wilhelm Bollinger made this stipple engraving portrait of Magnus Gottfried Lichtwer in the early 19th century. This work reflects the cultural and intellectual milieu of the Enlightenment, a time when portraiture played a crucial role in documenting prominent figures and their contributions to society. Bollinger captures Lichtwer, a man of letters, in a manner befitting his status. The details in his attire speak to the social conventions of class and gender; the powdered wig and formal coat signal his participation in a world of status and intellect. However, it is important to ask, whose stories were excluded from these circles? How did race and class shape who was deemed worthy of representation? Bollinger’s portrait invites us to reflect on the power dynamics inherent in portraiture and the ways in which it reinforces particular notions of identity and worth.