Christoph Martin Wieland c. 18th century

Curator: Here we have Johann Friedrich Bause's portrait of Christoph Martin Wieland. Editor: It strikes me as a very composed, almost self-consciously intellectual image. Curator: Indeed, Bause, who lived from 1738 to 1814, was a renowned engraver. I'm drawn to the way the cross-hatching builds up the form and creates texture. Editor: The subject’s slightly averted gaze and the restrained palette evoke a sense of inward contemplation, a hallmark of Enlightenment portraiture. Curator: Absolutely, engraving allowed for the mass production and dissemination of images, serving the growing middle class's appetite for knowledge and culture. Editor: Wieland, the subject, feels like a symbol of that very desire for Enlightenment learning. Curator: A fascinating connection! Editor: Yes, and it's been interesting to think about the portrait's meaning in relation to its materiality.