Portret van Jean de La Fontaine 1818 - 1832

Friedrich Wilhelm Bollinger created this portrait of Jean de La Fontaine through etching, employing a technique that captures intricate details with stark contrasts. This work presents La Fontaine, the celebrated French fabulist, through the gaze of an early 19th-century German artist. Bollinger, living in a time of burgeoning nationalism and romanticism, may have seen in La Fontaine a kindred spirit. Both were invested in storytelling, in using narrative to reflect on the complexities of human nature and society. The portrait reflects the cultural exchange and artistic admiration that transcended national borders during this era. Consider the choice to depict La Fontaine in profile, a classical style that lends the image a sense of timelessness and dignity. What does it mean to represent a writer, a man of words, through a visual medium? Does the portrait capture something essential about La Fontaine's character, or does it offer a new interpretation? This etching invites us to reflect on how we perceive and immortalize figures of cultural significance.