Portret van Karl Heinrich Lange 1732

This engraving of Karl Heinrich Lange was made by Christian Fritzsch in the early 18th century. Lange was a rector and librarian, holding positions of considerable intellectual authority in his time. The image is filled with visual cues about Lange's social standing. Note his elaborate wig, expensive clothing, and the Latin inscription that surrounds the portrait, all of which signal his elite status and erudition. Germany, at this time, was a land of universities, libraries and gymnasia, as well as a patchwork of competing states. Educated elites were therefore of considerable importance in public life. This portrait can thus be seen as an assertion of Lange’s authority within the academic and social hierarchies of his time. To fully understand this print, scholars can delve into the records of the institutions Lange served, the intellectual history of the period, and the conventions of portraiture in 18th-century Germany. In doing so, we reveal the complex interplay between art, power, and identity.