Portret van Johann Christoph Wentzel 1675 - 1709

This engraving portrays Johann Christoph Wentzel, made by Johann Christoph Boecklin. Notice how the oval frame and formal attire signal status, yet it's the elaborate wig that truly captures the spirit of the age. The wig, a symbol of power and intellect, echoes through time. From the Sun King Louis XIV, whose towering perukes amplified his authority, to portraits of Enlightenment thinkers, this hairpiece speaks volumes. Consider how the wig transforms the individual, masking the human form and creating a persona. Might we see it as a form of social armor, a tool used to navigate the complex theater of 17th-century life? The weight and artifice of the wig subtly convey the psychological burdens of status. It reminds us that appearances are powerful, and that humanity, like the symbols it creates, is forever in flux.