Portret van Johann Heinrich Schüle 1804

Matthias Gottfried Eichler created this print of Johann Heinrich Schüle, likely sometime around Schüle’s birth year, 1720. Prints like this one, made in German-speaking lands, helped to establish and maintain social hierarchies. Schüle’s status is asserted through both the visual and textual elements included here. He is framed in a classical oval, linking him to an established tradition of portraiture. The inscription below the image, coupled with the crest, announces Schüle’s noble status. He is identified as an advisor to the Holy Roman Emperor. It is important to remember that art institutions such as academies played a major role in elevating certain genres, such as history painting, above portraiture. Prints like this one provided a way to circulate images of elites outside of those established institutional frameworks. Art historians rely on a wide range of resources, from official records to personal letters, to more fully understand both the subjects and the social contexts of artworks such as this one.