Portret van Johann von Besser 1759 - 1815

Heinrich Pfenninger created this portrait of Johann von Besser using engraving techniques. Note the oval frame that encases von Besser, reminiscent of ancient Roman portraiture, a symbol of timelessness and authority. Consider the elaborate wig, a prominent status symbol, echoing the sun king Louis XIV and reappearing throughout European courts. Hair, historically linked to virility and power, is here transformed into an artificial construct. It obscures the individual beneath layers of social expectation. This is very different to depictions of hair in classical antiquity, where natural hair styles represent an ideal, a projection of power and social standing through natural beauty. The powdered wig, like a mask, hints at the psychological complexities of identity. It begs the question: does it reveal or conceal? These symbols, these echoes of past grandeur, engage us on a deeper, subconscious level. It represents a continuous cycle of power, constantly evolving.