Portret van Franz Ignaz Thiermair 1678

Michael Wening created this print, "Portret van Franz Ignaz Thiermair", featuring an oval portrait bust set above a rectangular plinth. The composition is structured around the contrast between the soft, rounded form of the portrait and the sharp, linear architectural base. The grey scale engraving, rendered with fine lines, gives texture and volume to the figure. The oval border creates an enclosed space that frames Thiermair, while also setting up a dialogue between interiority and exteriority. This tension is enhanced by the surrounding inscription, which merges text and image, inviting semiotic decoding. Placed centrally beneath the portrait, the plinth underscores the subject's status through symbolic grounding. Wening’s choices destabilize a straightforward reading. How does this portrait—with its architectural elements and textual frame—function as both a representation and a construct? Its formal arrangement not only presents an image of Thiermair, but also reflects larger questions about representation, power, and the encoding of identity.