Portret van Christ. Wilh. Nebel 1842

August Brust created this portrait of Christ. Wilh. Nebel using lithography, a printmaking technique, at an unknown date. Looking at this image, we are presented with a member of the bourgeoisie. He is wearing a suit and bow tie; this would have been costly at the time and therefore only available to a certain section of society. Similarly, we can see he is wearing a medal, meaning he has been recognised as a member of the German state. This image represents a clear hierarchy in German society at the time. The power of this image comes not only from its formal qualities but also from its socio-political context. To truly understand images like this, we must consult archives, historical documents, and other contextual materials to shed light on the social conditions that shaped its creation. We can consider art as contingent on its social and institutional context.