Portrait of Johann von Fichard 1550 - 1600

This is a portrait of Johann von Fichard, made by an anonymous artist, it hangs in the Städel Museum. It shows a man in a black hat and fur-lined coat. He holds a book in his hand. In the absence of the artist's name, we must look to the sitter himself and the objects around him for an understanding of the picture's social context. Consider the books visible behind him: these show the importance of scholarship and learning. The sitter’s clothing marks him out as a wealthy man of status in his time. This portrait probably dates from around the 16th century in Germany. At this time, Frankfurt was becoming an important center of trade and commerce. Powerful families rose to prominence as the city grew. Legal scholars, like Johann von Fichard, would have been important figures in this society. Art historians piece together such contexts through painstaking archival research. Only then can we understand the place of art within the societies that produced it.