Portret van Georg Adam Struve 1687 - 1743

This engraving by Johann Georg Mentzel immortalizes Georg Adam Struve in ink and paper. Encircling Struve is an inscription, a motif echoing ancient Roman portraiture, where inscriptions often accompanied likenesses of emperors and dignitaries, reinforcing their status and virtues. Consider the hand gesture, a motif resonant across epochs. We observe it in classical sculptures, where orators held their hands to convey eloquence and authority. Later, we find it in Renaissance portraits, signifying the sitter's intellect and sophistication. Here, in Struve's portrait, the gesture speaks not just of his station but perhaps hints at the weight of his knowledge and the responsibilities he carries. The image itself carries a powerful psychological charge. The subject's gaze, the deliberate gesture, and the symbolic inscription work together to leave a lasting impression on the subconscious, a deep resonance with the viewer. The motifs transcend their original contexts, carrying collective memories and emotions across time, resurfacing in new forms.