Portret van Wilhelm Abraham Teller 1774 - 1803

This is Johann Gottfried Schmidt's "Portret van Wilhelm Abraham Teller", an etching, and you’ll immediately notice its circular composition. This format, known as a roundel, lends the portrait an encapsulated, almost timeless quality, focusing your attention intensely on the subject. Schmidt’s technique is precise. He uses finely etched lines to create areas of tone, giving volume to the figure of Teller. Note how the hatching follows the contours of Teller’s face and wig, enhancing the three-dimensionality. The rigorous line work and stark contrast seem to suggest a moment of poised intellectual intensity. The decision to render Teller in profile isn't a matter of chance either; it reduces the figure to a pattern of flowing lines and curves, idealizing form, minimizing psychological insight. The absence of colour directs our focus to the structure within the etching itself and encourages a deeper consideration of its formal elements. The etching challenges us to look beyond mere representation and engage with the formal language of the print.