Portret van White Kennett 1728

Martin Bernigeroth created this print of White Kennett, Bishop of Peterborough, likely in the early 18th century using engraving techniques. Portraits of prominent figures like Kennett were not just about capturing a likeness. They played a crucial role in shaping public perception and reinforcing social hierarchies. Consider the symbols of authority: Kennett’s clerical garb, the carefully rendered wig – all visual cues designed to project power, knowledge, and status in the England of his time. Engravings like this one circulated widely, acting as a form of visual propaganda. They shaped opinions about individuals and, by extension, the institutions they represented. Prints like this one offer a valuable window into the social and intellectual landscape of the 1700s. Historians use a range of sources – letters, diaries, institutional records – to understand the context in which such images were created and consumed. By doing so, we can begin to understand the complex interplay between art, power, and society.