Portret van Johann Christoph Wichmannshausen 1718

Martin Bernigeroth created this portrait of Johann Christoph Wichmannshausen using etching techniques. Notice how the composition is structured around a series of contained shapes, the oval frame against a rectangular block. Within the frame Wichmannshausen’s figure is rendered in striking detail. Bernigeroth's strategic deployment of light and shadow models Wichmannshausen's wig, face and clothing. Light strikes the forehead and cheek, then dissolves across the fabric of his robes in patterns of pure form. The text below the image is framed by a draped cloth, a typical convention to present someone of significance. This visual structure emphasizes the sitter’s role as a figure of public knowledge. Through line and form, Bernigeroth asks us to examine the structures of power and the ways in which individuals are represented within academic and social frameworks. The etching becomes a semiotic space where the viewer engages with these symbolic elements.