Portret van Bartholomaeus Wolf 1662 - 1730

This engraving of Bartholomaeus Wolf was created by Johann Georg Bodenehr the elder, sometime around the turn of the 18th century. The trappings of status are all here, from the elaborate wig to the suggestion of a fine fur coat. What do these symbols tell us about the values of the society that produced it? Here, in the Holy Roman Empire, social hierarchy was maintained through strict visual codes. Bodenehr's engraving isn't just a picture; it's a statement about Wolf's place in the world. The prominent family crest, the Latin inscription, and the very act of commissioning a portrait—all these things speak to a desire to be remembered, to leave a mark on history. Analyzing images like this, we have to ask: Who had access to these forms of representation? Who was excluded? The answers to these questions open up a richer understanding of the social and institutional forces that shaped the art of the time. To find out more, try researching similar portraits from this period and region.