Portret van Wolfgang abt van St. Emmeran op 57-jarige leeftijd 1682 - 1729

This is Andreas Geyer’s engraving of Wolfgang, Abbot of St. Emmeran at the age of 57. It’s a portrait that’s as much about power and institution as it is about the individual. Produced in the 18th century, probably in Bavaria, we see the Abbot framed by elaborate heraldry and Latin inscriptions, visual codes signalling his authority within the Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire. The abbey of St. Emmeran, like many religious institutions of the time, was a significant landowner and power broker. Portraits like these reinforced that status, reminding viewers of the Church’s influence in social, political, and economic life. The formal pose, the meticulous detail in his vestments, it all speaks to a carefully constructed image of authority. As art historians, we can delve deeper, examining the archives of St. Emmeran, scrutinizing records of patronage, and exploring the social dynamics of 18th-century Bavaria to understand the full implications of this portrait. What does it tell us about the relationship between religious institutions and artistic production?