Heinrich Christian Schumacher 1829 - 1837

This is F. Ausborn's portrait of Heinrich Christian Schumacher. We see Schumacher adorned in what may have been considered scholarly garments at the time; a fur-lined coat, a cap. Consider the cultural moment in which this portrait was made. The 18th and 19th centuries were times of immense social and political upheaval. Schumacher’s role as a professor of astronomy positions him in the midst of the Enlightenment, an era that saw an emphasis on reason and individualism. It’s hard not to think about the ways in which scientific advances impacted the way people saw themselves in the world. But this portrait is also deeply personal. What emotions are conveyed in the subject’s eyes? What does it mean to capture a person in time? This image not only offers a glimpse into the life of an individual but also invites us to reflect on the broader societal shifts that defined his era.