Portret van Johann Geiler von Kaisersberg 1597 - 1599

Editor: Here we have Robert Boissard's "Portret van Johann Geiler von Kaisersberg," an engraving from around 1597 to 1599. There's a real solemnity to the man’s face, a sense of importance but also perhaps weariness. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What strikes me is how this portrait attempts to situate Geiler within a specific intellectual and religious context. He’s framed as both an individual, captured in detail, but also as a figurehead of Reformation thought. The print functions as a kind of propaganda, cementing his legacy and aligning him with certain theological and political ideals. Notice the Latin inscription. It connects him with powerful dukes and implies he valued free speech. Do you see the little insect or dragonfly figures flanking the columns behind his head? Editor: Yes, now that you point them out. Why are those insects there? Curator: Well, consider the historical moment. The Reformation was a time of upheaval, challenging established authorities. Images, including prints like this one, became crucial tools in shaping public opinion. Dragonflies represent transformation, as their larvae form lives underwater before taking wing to the air. In what way do you see Kaisersberg transforming from his previous work? Editor: I never considered those elements symbolically. Now I am starting to understand his reformation role much better by noticing the insect flanking him in the portrait. Curator: Exactly. This is what situating artworks within broader historical and social narratives can do. Boissard wasn’t just creating a likeness; he was actively constructing an image of religious authority in a time of massive political shifts. It urges us to investigate deeper into that historical context of struggle.