Freiherr Alexander Vesque von Püttlingen als Kind 1836

Friedrich von Amerling painted this portrait of Freiherr Alexander Vesque von Püttlingen as a child sometime in the first half of the 19th century. Here we see the conventions of formal portraiture brought to bear on a child of privilege in Austria. The Freiherr, or ‘free lord,’ Alexander, is presented with the self-assured gaze, subtle smile, and frilled costume of a miniature adult. The painting performs the social function of celebrating a family and class that considered itself the natural leaders of society. The institutions of art played an important role in the creation and perpetuation of such images. Wealthy families commissioned portraits to affirm their status, while art academies trained artists like Amerling to produce them. We can research the Vesque von Püttlingen family and the patronage networks of artists like Amerling, to understand the dynamics of power that shaped this painting and its world.