Portret van Johannes Bohn 1664 - 1725

This is a portrait of Johannes Bohn made by Christoph Weigel, an engraver active in Germany around 1700. Weigel made use of engraving, a printmaking technique, which was becoming a widespread method for the distribution of images at this time. This work can be situated within the broader social and cultural context of the early Enlightenment. Bohn was a professor and city physician, suggesting his participation in a culture of learning and civic engagement. The Latin inscription suggests this was aimed at a learned audience. The monumental wig and oval frame are visual codes that convey authority. To understand this image further we could look into the histories of medicine and the emergence of the university as a key institution in the early modern period. It's through this kind of research that we can grasp the meanings and values that this image communicated at the time.