Portret van Johann Magdalena Richter 1726 - 1733

This is a portrait of Johanna Magdalena Richter, made by Martin Bernigeroth. It's a print, meaning that the image wasn't drawn directly onto the paper, but etched onto a metal plate, inked, and then transferred. Look closely and you'll see an intricate network of lines. The varying thickness and density of these lines create the illusion of shadow and form, bringing Johanna to life. It's a painstaking process, requiring immense skill and control. Bernigeroth wasn't just mechanically reproducing an image; he was interpreting Johanna’s likeness through a highly specialized craft. Prints like this were relatively more affordable than painted portraits, making them a popular way for the emerging middle class to participate in a culture of image-making that had once been the exclusive domain of the wealthy elite. So, in a way, this print embodies a shift in the social landscape, a democratization of portraiture fueled by skilled labor and the mechanics of reproduction. It reminds us that even seemingly straightforward images are the product of complex processes, and tell stories about the societies that produced them.