Bildnis Johann Jeremias Hoff, Vater des Künstlers 1852

Johann Jakob Hoff made this portrait of his father, Johann Jeremias Hoff, in 1852. It is a pencil drawing. This image speaks to the rise of the middle class in 19th-century Germany. The elder Hoff's attire—his suit and carefully arranged hair—mark him as a man of business and, indeed, of some means. While a painted portrait might have been beyond the family budget, a drawing allowed Hoff to participate in the visual culture that declared his social standing. Hoff the younger may have intended it as a demonstration of his artistic skill within the family, prior to marketing his abilities to a wider audience. We see this kind of image gaining popularity as art academies expanded in the 19th century, and with it, access to materials and training. Family portraits became displays of personal worth. Understanding this drawing fully requires attention to the Hoff family's social circumstances, pieced together from archival records and genealogical research. The meaning of art, after all, is deeply rooted in social and institutional contexts.