Portret van Johann Adam Schmidt 1780 - 1832

This is a portrait of Johann Adam Schmidt by Johann Daniel Laurenz the Younger, made sometime around the early 19th century. This print gives us an insight into the way prominent individuals were presented and perceived in Viennese society at the time. The formal pose, the oval frame, and the carefully rendered details of Schmidt's clothing and hair all contribute to an image of respectability and authority. The inscription tells us that Schmidt was a professor at the Josephinum, the medical-surgical academy in Vienna. The reference to Schmidt's role as an "Augenartz," or eye doctor, speaks to the emerging specializations within the medical field. To fully understand this portrait, we could delve deeper into the history of the Josephinum and the social status of medical professionals in Vienna at the time. What role did institutions like the Josephinum play in shaping medical knowledge and practice? How did social class and patronage influence artistic production? These are just some of the questions that a social historian might ask when looking at this print.