Portret van Alexander zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst 1821

This is a portrait of Alexander zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst, made by Theodor Götz using a refined drawing technique. The linear quality of the drawing brings to mind the engraver’s burin, though it may have been executed using graphite or fine pen and ink. The print exudes elegance through the detailed rendering of the sitter's likeness and formal attire. While not opulent, the work clearly signals the sitter’s high social standing. It also hints at the considerable amount of work that went into the production of images like this, which would have required not only the artist’s skill, but also a social network of patrons and suppliers. Consider too, how the relatively small scale of this work would have lent itself to circulation among a select social sphere. It is not so different, in this sense, from the way images circulate today. This portrait reminds us that fine art always depends on social context, the means of its making, and its eventual distribution.