Portret van Eugen Wenzel von Wrbna-Freudenthal 1749 - 1796

Johann Ernst Mansfeld created this print of Eugen Wenzel von Wrbna-Freudenthal using etching. Through his art, Mansfeld participated in the visual construction of social status and power. Consider the historical backdrop: the late 18th century, an era defined by aristocratic privilege and rigid social hierarchies, against which the stirrings of revolution were beginning to be felt. The portrait immortalizes Eugen Wenzel, a Count deeply embedded in the structures of the Holy Roman Empire. His identity, as inscribed beneath the portrait, isn't just a name but a catalog of his land holdings and titles. Note how Wenzel's gaze and attire reflect the decorum expected of his class. Yet, in capturing Wenzel, Mansfeld was not merely producing a likeness. He was actively reinforcing the subject’s social identity. The print’s distribution would have served to circulate and affirm Wrbna-Freudenthal's position within the societal network of power. It is a visualization of status, carefully etched into the cultural record.