Portret van Johann Stephan Pütter 1763

Johann Friedrich Bause created this portrait of Johann Stephan Pütter using etching and engraving. As a professor of law at the University of Göttingen, Pütter was a leading intellectual figure of the German Enlightenment. This print, with its formal classicising frame, stages Pütter as a figure of public importance. The bookshelf behind him signals his erudition, while his fashionable attire hints at his social standing. The inscription below further emphasizes Pütter's importance and claims his association with the British royal family. Produced in the late 18th century, this portrait reflects the era's emphasis on reason, knowledge, and social order. But it's also interesting to consider the institutional context. How did universities like Göttingen contribute to the formation of public opinion? And how did portraiture function to promote the reputations of intellectuals and institutions? By consulting archival sources, like university records and publications from the period, we can understand how this image participated in the cultural and intellectual life of its time.