Portret van Georg Friedrich Hildebrandt 1793 - 1824

Friedrich Wilhelm Nettling made this print of Georg Friedrich Hildebrandt sometime in the early 19th century, most likely using an engraving technique. The portrait is an image of a man who, as the inscription tells us, was a Prussian court advisor and professor in Erlangen. As such, this image gives us some insight into the visual codes of professional status in Germany at the time. Hildebrandt’s powdered wig and formal jacket index him as an educated man, possibly one who is aware of artistic and intellectual trends. The print itself also speaks to the culture of learning and academic life: it could have served as the frontispiece to a book or as an independent print sold in a bookshop. Understanding the social meaning of images like this requires us to examine the institutions of the court and the academy in early 19th-century Prussia, considering the relationship between political power and intellectual life.