Portret van Johann Lorenz von Mosheim 1705 - 1755

This is Christian Fritzsch’s “Portret van Johann Lorenz von Mosheim,” made sometime in the 18th century using etching. It captures the theologian Johann Lorenz von Mosheim at a time when religious identity was deeply interwoven with political power. Fritzsch’s portrait offers a window into the identity and social standing of its subject, note the symbols of status and authority, such as the elaborate wig, fine clerical robes, and the heraldic crests. The book, resting casually in his hand, is less an attribute, and more a performative claim to intellectual prowess. The gaze is calm, confident, but does it hint at the social hierarchies of the era? Consider how the portrait is not merely a likeness, but a construction of identity deeply rooted in the religious, social, and political structures of its time. It invites us to reflect on the complex interplay between individual identity and broader societal forces.