Portret van Daniel Sennert

This engraving of Daniel Sennert was made by Matthäus Merian the Elder around 1627. Sennert was a prominent physician and professor at the University of Wittenberg, in what is now Germany. Engravings like this one played a crucial role in the Republic of Letters, the largely decentralized, self-governing community of scholars and literary figures that emerged in the early 17th century. At this time, the printing press had created a new kind of public sphere, where intellectuals could exchange ideas and build reputations through published writings and images. This portrait of Sennert emphasizes his status as a learned academic. To understand the social function of this image, we might look to the Wittenberg University records to examine the relationship between the sitter and the artist. We might also look at how the image circulates, and how it shapes the cultural authority of intellectuals in the 17th century.