Silhouetportret van Heinrich Hieronymus von Hinckeldey Possibly 1794 - 1796

Daniel Beyel created this silhouette portrait of Heinrich Hieronymus von Hinckeldey in 1794. In the late 18th century, silhouette portraits were a popular and affordable way to capture a person’s likeness, often favored by the middle class. But let's consider the history and politics of representation embedded in this seemingly simple form. Note that Von Hinckeldey was a government president. Silhouettes, by reducing the individual to a stark outline, raise questions about identity and power. Whose stories are told and whose are left in the shadows? What aspects of a person are highlighted or concealed when reduced to an outline? As we contemplate this image, let us think about the stories that silhouettes both reveal and obscure. What does it mean to remember and represent figures from the past and how do we approach these representations with a critical eye?