Portret van Bernhard August von Lindenau c. 1829 - 1840

This engraving portrays Bernhard August von Lindenau and was made by Franz Xaver Stöber. The portrait itself, set against a backdrop of soft, undefined sky, draws us into the world of 19th-century intellect and status. Note how Lindenau's gaze is slightly averted, a gesture that echoes through centuries of portraiture, from ancient Roman busts to Renaissance paintings. It speaks not just to modesty, but to an introspective turn of mind, a characteristic valued in enlightened thinkers. The careful depiction of his clothing, a dark coat with a high collar, and the subtle lighting, which emphasizes his facial features, contribute to a narrative of respectability and authority. But let us consider this figure in the broader theater of human expression. How might his posture compare to, say, images of Roman emperors or even depictions of deities in ancient reliefs? These echoes remind us that even in the age of enlightenment, we are never truly free from the patterns and archetypes that shape our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world.