Portret van Michael Wutky 1780

This is Christian von Mechel’s print of Michael Wutky, made in the late 18th century. Wutky, the landscape painter, is framed by an oval, and situated in an almost theatrical pose. It's worth considering the cultural context here: Wutky, who was born in Austria, but of mixed ethnic heritage, was celebrated for his romanticized visions of rural life. He painted during a time when the elite were increasingly interested in the ‘natural’ world, even as they remained distanced from it. Note the hat and the somewhat affected air about him, the implication is of nature, but nature tamed, nature as a symbol, not a reality. As such, Wutky's identity as an artist becomes entwined with the romantic and often idealized views of the rural world that were en vogue at the time. It serves as a looking glass into the complex relationship between identity, representation, and the romanticized notions of nature that were prevalent in 18th-century art and society.