Portret van Carl Gottlob Küttner 1803

This is Johann Daniel Lorenz the Second’s, "Portret van Carl Gottlob Küttner." Made with etching, it depicts Carl Gottlob Küttner, a man born in 1728. Laurenz captures Küttner in the conventional style of his time, an oval framing a half-body portrait. Küttner's gaze, posture, and attire all speak to a position of power. Yet, if we look closer, we can also consider what is absent. Where are the signs of revolution or upheaval? It’s easy to view this portrait as merely a record of a man, yet it’s also a telling artifact of its era. The print’s emphasis on tradition and the status quo serves as a reminder of the complex negotiations of identity amidst social change.