Portret van Johann Samuel Halle 1790

This portrait of Johann Samuel Halle was made in 1796 by J.S.L. Halle, presumably a relative, using etching techniques. The choice of a formal portrait, framed within an ornate oval, tells us much about the sitter's status and the conventions of representation at the time. The etching was made in Berlin, a city undergoing significant transformation in the late 18th century. A hub of the Enlightenment, Berlin saw the rise of a bourgeois public sphere, with institutions like salons and learned societies playing a crucial role. Portraits like this one, circulated as prints, helped to solidify social identities and project an image of respectability. Halle's dress, wig, and composed expression all speak to the values of his class. Looking closely at the inscriptions, we can see the emphasis on Halle's birth date, suggesting a concern with lineage and legacy. These details, gleaned from meticulous research into the social and institutional history of the time, allow us to interpret the portrait not just as an image of an individual, but as a window into a specific cultural milieu.