Portret van Jakob Friedrich Ludwig Lentin 1784 - 1825

Johann Christoph Franz Giere created this portrait of Jakob Friedrich Ludwig Lentin using etching, a printmaking technique. Note the sitter's formal attire, which reflects his social standing as well as the institutions of power at the time. This work belongs to the late 18th or early 19th century, a period of significant social upheaval and revolutionary change, especially in Europe. Germany, like many other European nations, was grappling with Enlightenment ideals and the rise of a middle class eager to assert its cultural and political influence. Portraits such as this served to solidify an individual’s status within the changing social order. Lentin is depicted within an oval frame that is sitting above a plinth with an inscription. A snake is wrapped around an instrument. The bird at the very top may reflect his status or accomplishments. To understand the portrait fully, we delve into historical archives, genealogical records, and studies of German social history. What emerges is a portrait of a society in transition, captured in the formal conventions of portraiture, but hinting at deeper social and political currents.