Michael Vibe 1684 - 1690

Hubert Schaten created this engraving, titled "Michael Vibe," in the 17th century. The portrait captures Vibe, presumably a man of considerable status given his elaborate wig, finery, and the heraldry surrounding the image. Engravings like this one served as a form of social currency, communicating power and prestige through carefully constructed visual cues. Vibe's identity as a man is central, his status amplified through the visual language of wealth and authority that was typical of the period. Consider how the very act of commissioning and circulating this portrait solidified Vibe's position within the social hierarchy. It is an act of self-fashioning, carefully designed to project an image of power and respectability to his contemporaries and to future generations. It leaves us to question what aspects of his identity Vibe wanted to emphasize.