Portret van Martin Geuder 1669

Johann Friedrich Leonard created this etching, "Portrait of Martin Geuder," in 1665. The portrait’s visual codes place Geuder in a specific social context: the sober attire, the fur-lined coat, and the octagonal frame all suggest a man of substance and learning in 17th century Nuremberg. But the inscription below the image, "Reipublicae Norimbergensis Duumvir," reveals his true status: a high-ranking official in the Republic of Nuremberg. Leonard's portrait then, is more than just an individual likeness. It's a statement about civic virtue and the importance of public service in a free city-state. The image’s conservatism is revealed by the emphasis on status and traditional roles. A closer look at the historical records of Nuremberg – its archives, its legal documents, its visual culture – would reveal the complex social and political dynamics at play in Leonard's time. And we might better understand the public role art played then.