Portret van Eilhard Mitscherlich 1804 - 1840

This is Ernst Ludwig Riepenhausen’s rendering of Eilhard Mitscherlich. Executed in printmaking, it echoes the ancient profile portraiture, a form that once adorned coins and conveyed power. Here, the profile serves a different purpose. It is less about might, more about scientific pursuit. Yet, the starkness of the profile is a powerful force, engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. This way of capturing an individual has distant echoes in Pharaonic Egypt, where the profile ensured the immortalization of the subject. Over time, this has softened. From emperors to scholars, the profile adapts. Thus, we see the symbol's cyclical progression, a testament to its enduring appeal, resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings in different historical contexts.