Portret van Johann Baptist Homann 1706 - 1765

This is Johann Wilhelm Windter’s portrait of Johann Baptist Homann, rendered with engraving. Notice how Windter uses a monochromatic palette to emphasize form and texture. The composition is structured around a play of geometric and organic forms. The rigid lines of the books in the background contrast with the fluid, almost baroque curls of Homann’s wig and the drapery. This juxtaposition creates a visual rhythm, drawing the eye across the image and balancing Homann's presence against the symbols of his intellectual milieu. Semiotically, these elements function as signs of Homann’s status and profession, yet they are rendered with such detail that they become studies in texture. The books and the tools on the table symbolize Homann's occupation as a cartographer, reflecting the contemporary emphasis on empirical observation and scientific accuracy. The engraving technique, with its fine lines and cross-hatching, adds depth and volume, while also alluding to the precision and meticulousness associated with cartography itself. The portrait invites us to consider how artistic representation can encapsulate and communicate complex systems of knowledge and cultural values.