Portret van Marco Aurelio Severino 1722 - 1724

This is Jacob Houbraken's engraved portrait of Marco Aurelio Severino, made sometime between 1698 and 1780. Severino was a professor of medicine and surgery in Naples; this engraving is full of the visual cues of status and learning of the period. As a portrait, it not only captures Severino's likeness, but it performs ideas about masculinity, knowledge, and class. Consider the ways in which the formal trappings of the portrait – the ornate frame, the detailed engraving technique, and the Latin inscription – all contribute to an image of elite intellectualism. Who was deemed worthy of such commemoration, and what does it tell us about the values of the time? It is fascinating to consider the power dynamics inherent in portraiture. How does the artist shape the viewer's perception of the subject, and what role does the subject play in constructing their own image? This portrait reminds us that identity is not simply a matter of individual expression, but is also shaped by social, cultural, and historical forces.