Portret van Peter Burckhard

This is Georg Fennitzer’s portrait of Peter Burckhard, made around the turn of the 18th century as an etching. Although Fennitzer died young, the image shows his mastery of the form. But let’s consider the subject: Peter Burckhard was a Nuremberg physician, and the Latin inscription tells us that he died in 1559. Fennitzer was likely working from an earlier image, and he presents Burckhard to us swathed in the trappings of wealth and status. The fur-lined coat and decorative collar speak to his position in society. The image gives us insight into Nuremberg's social structure. We can research its economic and political history through city archives and guild records. These can reveal how someone like Burckhard would have been viewed, and what social norms prevailed at the time the original image was made. By examining these histories, we gain a deeper understanding of the cultural values that shaped the artwork.