Portret van Arnold Weickhard op 49-jarige leeftijd 1626

This is a portrait of Arnold Weickhard at the age of 49, made by Matthäus Merian the Elder. The composition is dominated by the figure of Weickhard, whose gaze meets ours directly. The engraver's use of line creates a detailed representation of his subject's status, from the elaborate ruff and multiple chains to the book he holds—symbols of knowledge and authority. Merian employs a formal structure that was typical of 17th-century portraiture, yet there’s a certain tension created by the asymmetry in the subject’s pose. He isn’t rigidly posed, but has a sense of ease and presence. The inclusion of Latin text and a crest further encodes the image with layers of meaning, inviting us to decode the values and identity Weickhard wished to project. The interplay between the formal elements and the symbolic content highlights how portraits of this era functioned not just as likenesses, but as carefully constructed statements about identity and place within a complex social order.