Portret van Georg Andreas Will 1798 - 1818

This is Leonhard Schlemmer's "Portret van Georg Andreas Will," a monochrome artwork. The composition consists of an oval portrait of a man, centrally located above calligraphic inscriptions. The texture of the paper is rough, adding a tactile dimension to the visual experience. Schlemmer's formal choices invite analysis through the lens of semiotics. The oval frame, a classical motif, encases Will's profile, which may symbolize containment and the reduction of the individual to a standardized form. Below this, the inscriptions are a series of signifiers that point to Will's identity and biographical details, fixing him within a socio-historical context. The high contrast of the monochrome palette further underscores the tension between figure and ground, emphasizing the graphic nature of the portrait. This contrast serves not merely as aesthetic but as a semiotic device that highlights the act of representation itself. As such, the artwork prompts us to consider how meaning is constructed through visual and textual signs, and how these signs collectively shape our understanding.