Portret van Friedrich August Junius 1769

This is Johann Friedrich Bause's portrait of Friedrich August Junius, made with engraving, a printmaking technique, in the 18th century. Portraits were important tools for establishing status and power in this period. Bause was a German printmaker and Junius a doctor and senator in Leipzig, so this portrait speaks to the local cultural and intellectual life of the German Enlightenment. We see Junius in the trappings of the upper class - powdered wig, velvet coat, classical architectural frame. But engraving as a medium also speaks to the Enlightenment's investment in reason, science, and the reproducible image. Engravings allowed for the wide circulation of images and ideas, contributing to a more informed public sphere. Looking closer, we can use sources from the period to understand more about Junius's social and political roles. In the end, the meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.