Portret van Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Jerusalem 1756 - 1819

This is Gottlob August Liebe's portrait of Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Jerusalem, made using etching techniques. The portrait is built on a series of geometric forms, each carefully placed to create a balanced and harmonious composition. A circular frame encloses Jerusalem's likeness, softened by a ribbon at the top, which sits atop a rectangular plaque displaying his name. Liebe’s use of line and tone creates a sense of depth and texture, from the delicate rendering of Jerusalem’s face to the subtle gradations that suggest volume and form. The portrait's structure invites us to consider the relationship between representation and identity. Jerusalem, framed and labeled, becomes an object of study, his identity mediated through the formal elements of the artwork. This tension between the individual and the structure that contains them opens up questions about the nature of portraiture itself.