Portret van Maximilian Franz 1760 - 1801

Friedrich Wilhelm Gmelin made this print of Maximilian Franz, likely in the late eighteenth century, using etching. It is a piece which reflects the entanglements of church, state and aristocratic privilege so characteristic of its time. Maximilian Franz was the Archbishop of Cologne, and a member of the Austrian Royal family, as the inscription tells us. Note the symbols of rank and religious authority: his clerical collar and the ornate cross. The frame is decorated with laurel leaves which represent his achievements. It is important to remember that portraits were not neutral likenesses, but tools used by the sitter to project power and prestige. They were also commissioned and circulated through institutional structures, such as the church. To better understand this image, we can explore archival resources from the Austrian royal family. The meaning of art lies within its specific social and institutional context.