Portret van Andreas Ottmar Goelicke 1736

This is Johann Martin Bernigeroth's portrait of Andreas Ottmar Goelicke, made using etching. Bernigeroth was active during a time of rigid social structures, where portraiture served as a powerful tool to reinforce status. Portraits from this era were often less about capturing individual personality and more about presenting the sitter in a way that conformed to societal expectations tied to gender, class, and profession. Goelicke’s clothing and elaborate wig are not just personal choices but signifiers of his position and participation in the power structures of his time. The inscription below the image, dense with titles and affiliations, tells us much about the circles in which Goelicke moved. Consider how the portrait maintains these traditional representations. In doing so it offers insight into the negotiation of identity within the confines of 18th-century European society. It allows us to reflect on the ways individuals both embody and navigate the expectations placed upon them.