Portret van Friedrich Ludwig Christian Cropp op 63-jarige leeftijd c. 1781

Hans Andreas Joachim Hillers made this print of Friedrich Ludwig Christian Cropp at 63 years of age using etching and engraving techniques. It is a formal portrait of a man likely of some importance, and one of its functions was surely to consolidate his social standing. Made in Germany in the late 18th or early 19th century, the portrait speaks to the cultural norms of that time. The subject's powdered wig, dress, and the formal presentation of the image all speak to the visual codes of status. This was a society still heavily invested in inherited rank, and where one’s position was visibly marked. The art market and the institutions of art such as the academy played a role in upholding these norms, but these could also be subtly challenged by artists, particularly through satire. To understand the artwork more fully, we need to learn about the artist, the sitter, and the social conventions of portraiture at that time.