Portret van Johann Balthasar Wernher 1716

Johann Georg Mentzel created this portrait of Johann Balthasar Wernher in Germany, during the early 18th century. Here, we see the codes of status and authority through Wernher’s presentation. His elaborate wig signifies membership within elite social circles. We also note the Latin inscription, ‘Academia Wittenbergensi Assessor’ which tells us of Wernher’s institutional affiliation as an assessor at the Academy of Wittenberg. The Academy of Wittenberg was a crucial place of learning for members of the political and cultural elite. Looking at the image, we might ask how Wernher saw himself in relation to the institutions in which he was a participant. Was he, through the power of his image, attempting to shore up or critique the social structures of his time? These questions can be explored through research into the Wittenberg Academy, and into the networks of power and patronage in which both Wernher and Mentzel were participants.