Portret van Anna Maria Creutziger 1722 - 1733

Martin Bernigeroth made this print of Anna Maria Creutziger in the early 18th century. At the time, the Holy Roman Empire consisted of autonomous principalities. Leipzig, where Bernigeroth and Creutziger lived, was part of the electorate of Saxony. The print contains the codes and conventions that would have been instantly recognizable to its contemporary audience. Anna Maria is framed by an oval, the conventional shape for portraiture, and surrounded by the trappings of wealth and status, namely an urn, a column and a drape. But what does it mean to have one's portrait made? In a society without photography, portraiture was a means of preserving one's likeness for posterity, and circulating ideas about the sitter's social position, moral character, and dynastic aspirations. These images were tools that people used to shape their world and their social relations. By analyzing the image and researching its patrons, we can begin to understand the cultural values of this historical moment.