Portret van Christian Langhansen 1700 - 1749

This print, held at the Rijksmuseum, is a portrait of Christian Langhansen, made by Johann Friedrich Rosbach. The image is inscribed with Langhansen’s list of titles. As 'Pastor der Altstädtischen Pfarr-Kirchen', Langhansen was no doubt a figure of some standing within his community. The artwork shows a man holding a book inscribed with the words 'Fiat Voluntas Domini', Latin for 'Thy Will Be Done'. This phrase indicates Langhansen’s commitment to the word of God. But the setting of this work is also distinctly secular. The text beneath the image lists Langhansen’s secular roles, as inspector of schools and senior minister. Considering this image, we might ask ourselves what it tells us about the relationship between church and state in Prussia at this time. How might the roles of figures like Langhansen shaped the cultural life of the area? To understand these figures better, researchers could use the print collections held in museums like this one, alongside archival documents, to reconstruct their biographies and uncover the social and political forces that shaped their lives and identities.