Portret van Joachim Hartmann 1760

Christian Fritzsch created this engraving of Joachim Hartmann sometime before 1769. The portrait gives us a window into the world of 18th-century academia and the visual codes of class and intellectual identity. Hartmann is depicted in the conventional garb of a scholar of the period, complete with a powdered wig and clerical collar. The book and quill in the foreground are not just props, they speak to his literacy, learning, and authority. His confident gaze and posture reflect a sense of self-assurance, indicative of his societal position and the power associated with intellectual and religious leadership. However, there is more here than just the portrait of one man; it is a window into the cultural values of the time. It invites reflection on the relationship between knowledge, power, and representation, and the ways in which these dynamics shape our perceptions.