Portret van August von Leitzsch 1680 - 1733

Curator: Let's turn our attention to a portrait, an engraving actually, dating from around 1680-1733. It's entitled "Portret van August von Leitzsch," and the printmaker was Martin Bernigeroth. The piece resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: There’s a somber quality to it, wouldn't you agree? Even with the ostentatious wig and implied wealth. It has that serious gravitas down pat. The contrast between the figure and the blank paper is incredibly striking. Curator: Well, the choice of engraving speaks to the printing processes prevalent at the time; the labor intensive process allows for such detailed and repeatable image-making. Let’s consider, too, the social context. Von Leitzsch clearly had the resources for such a commissioned portrait. Note also the materials depicted. Editor: Exactly! His armor isn't merely protective wear; it speaks of status and perhaps a longing for a romanticized, chivalric past. And I notice the shield bearing the family crest down on the right...symbols of heritage. A clear message. Curator: Quite right. The etching itself is printed on paper, itself a costly material dependent on availability and technology of paper manufacture in that time and place... The drapery suggests access to imported textile from global trade networks! Editor: Yes, the drapery. The fabric partially conceals, partially reveals…like life itself. The tassel from that drapery hangs there, suggesting something held precariously, perhaps life itself. The dark-to-light transitions of the engraver’s mark-making pull me in emotionally. Curator: In the social world of image-making, copies of his portraits, like these, helped build lasting, repeatable records of elite kinship networks! It shows that the making and distribution of visual knowledge were controlled and made by ruling classes. Editor: It leaves us thinking, doesn’t it, about identity? Curator: Absolutely. The materials alone allow one to reconstruct Von Leitzch's power in a very concrete way. Editor: It's intriguing how deeply those material details embed this man within his world.