Portret van Louis Édouard Wacken 1847

Joseph Schubert created this portrait of Louis Édouard Wacken, though the date of the artwork is unknown. It shows us something about the social and institutional context of portraiture in 19th century Europe. In the 1800s, portraiture served as a symbol of status, but also an expression of personal and professional identity. Wacken's dress and bearing speak to a degree of social standing, as does the very fact of his having had a portrait commissioned. But what does the portrait tell us about the specific social and cultural world of the sitter? As historians, we might look to records of Wacken’s life and work, including local histories, institutional records, or genealogical databases. This kind of research allows us to understand how artworks are embedded in the social and institutional worlds of their time, and how the meaning of art is always contingent on its historical context.