Portret van Christoph Wilhelm Waldstromer von Reichelsdorf 1800

This engraving portrays Christoph Wilhelm Waldstromer von Reichelsdorf and was made by Christoph-Wilhelm Bock. The profile, encased in a delicate oval, presents a study in contrasts, with the subject's wig juxtaposed against his sharp, distinctive features. The monochromatic palette and fine lines contribute to a sense of formality and restraint. The artwork's composition reveals the engraver's mastery of line and form, utilizing the graphic medium to explore the relationship between subject and frame. Bock uses hatching and cross-hatching in the small format to suggest depth and volume. The clean lines and structured layout reflect a semiotic system where each stroke communicates status. The choice of profile, rather than a full frontal view, further removes the subject as the object in the artwork. It becomes a structured arrangement of lines and forms. Note how Bock uses the conventions of portraiture to express broader cultural ideas about identity and representation, challenging us to reconsider traditional notions of portraiture.