Portret van Georg Christoph Volckamer von Kirchensittenbach 1756

This engraving of Georg Christoph Volckamer von Kirchensittenbach was made by Johann Wilhelm Windter, an artist active in the German lands in the first half of the 18th century. The print presents an image of civic virtue. The sitter, who lived from 1666 until 1733, belonged to a prominent family in Nuremberg. He is framed as a man of public service: the Latin inscription tells us that he was a city official, a supervisor of territories and a curator. The classical architecture suggests the values of the Roman Republic, which German elites at the time were keen to emulate. The coat-of-arms implies social status and family continuity. The finery of his dress implies wealth but is restrained by the demands of his office. To understand this image better, researchers might investigate the histories of civic institutions in Nuremberg and the Volckamer family. The values on display here are specific to a time and place.