Portret van Konrad Bartholomäus Oexl 1667

This is Matthias van Sommer's portrait of Konrad Bartholomäus Oexl, created in 1667. The print captures Oexl, a reverend and diplomat, within an octagonal frame, his status proclaimed through text and heraldry. The image, like many portraits of its time, reinforces societal hierarchies. Oexl's garments and composed expression reflect his position and the power structures of the Holy Roman Empire. Yet, portraits also offer a glimpse beyond the surface. What ambitions or anxieties might have been present as Oexl sat for this commission? How did he understand his place in a world undergoing immense political change? Consider how portraits not only preserved likenesses, but also performed a social function, articulating power, lineage, and identity in the theater of the Early Modern world. Ultimately, this portrait invites us to contemplate the relationship between individual identity, social roles, and the broader historical forces that shaped them.