Portret van Franz Carl Leopold Prehorsowsky 1680 - 1733

Martin Bernigeroth created this print of Franz Carl Leopold Prehorsowsky sometime between 1670 and 1733. It presents us with a formal portrait, framed within an oval, typical of the period’s visual language of power and status. Prehorsowsky’s identity is intricately tied to his titles, as the inscription below the image tells us: he was a Count, a Royal Stadtholder, and the highest judge in the Kingdom of Bohemia. The armor he wears, coupled with the flowing wig, speaks to the complex construction of masculinity and authority in the 17th and 18th centuries. Bernigeroth, as the artist, also occupies a specific position within this power dynamic. Commissioned to create this print, he was tasked with visually reinforcing Prehorsowsky's status and legacy. Prints like this one were tools for circulating images of power, influencing how individuals were perceived and remembered. It is a potent reminder of how identity is both a personal and a socially constructed performance.