Grafmonument voor de heer Hoeffel 1680

Sigmund Gabriel Hipschmann created this print, "Grave Monument for Mr. Hoeffel," in the 17th century, a time when the visual representation of grief was highly ritualized. Prints such as these were often commissioned by the family, not just as a memorial, but as a statement of status. This work is filled with allegorical imagery, from the angel bearing the family crest, to the landscapes to either side of the monument, filled with symbols. The Hoeffel family is literally placed on a pedestal. The monument is crowned by an image of the deceased and festooned with foliage, signaling a life lived that continues to grow in the afterlife. The Latin inscription makes explicit that the monument has been erected as a trophy. As such, we can consider the way in which the monument performs grief while simultaneously solidifying the family’s place within a hierarchical society.