Portret van Maximiliaan Hendrik van Beieren c. 1660 - 1685

This is Johann Martin Lerch’s ‘Portret van Maximiliaan Hendrik van Beieren’, an engraving created sometime in the late 17th century. At first glance, the composition is dominated by the oval frame, adorned with floral motifs, which encapsulates the portrait of Maximiliaan. Lerch masterfully employs line and texture to define form and space, using hatching and cross-hatching to create tonal variations that suggest depth and volume. The meticulous rendering of Maximiliaan’s attire, with its intricate patterns and textures, contrasts with the smoother treatment of the face, drawing our attention to the sitter's expression and features. By framing the subject in this way, Lerch invokes a semiotic dialogue between the individual and the symbolic structures of power. The portrait is not merely a representation, but also a construction of identity, reflecting the cultural codes and aesthetic conventions of its time. These structural elements of framing and texture are integral to how the portrait communicates meaning.