Portret van Johann Jacob Seelig 1730 - 1733

Martin Bernigeroth created this print of Johann Jacob Seelig, a minister from Frankfurt, sometime between 1686 and 1733. Bernigeroth, working in the tradition of portrait engravings, places Seelig in an interior, with a curtain, books, and a Hebrew text indicating the sitter's identity as a learned theologian. Seelig’s attire – the dark robe and crisp white ruff – speaks to his religious calling. In many ways, this portrait is about social standing, the cultural capital that comes with religious authority. And yet, Bernigeroth subtly acknowledges the shifts happening at the time. The flowing wig, though still present, is less voluminous than earlier in the period. The effect is one of a man of God, but also a man of the world. Engravings like this one were crucial in disseminating images of important figures. They reflect not just individual likeness, but also the values and aspirations of a society undergoing transformation. How do we balance tradition with modernity? Bernigeroth's portrait seems to ask this very question.