Portret van John Russell 1808 - 1868

This is Carl Mayer’s portrait of Lord John Russel, a stipple engraving printed in the 19th century. Looking at this image, we can see the codes of class and power operating in the way Russel is presented, particularly in contrast to how the working classes were represented at the time. Note the particular smoothness of his skin, his fashionable jacket, and neatly styled hair. Russel was a prominent Whig politician and two-time prime minister of the United Kingdom, and he came from one of the most powerful aristocratic families in England. These engravings were, in some ways, the ‘press photos’ of their day, carefully crafted to project an image of authority. Historians consult archives, letters, newspapers, and other printed materials to better understand the image, it’s meaning to its contemporary audience, and the role it played in constructing Russel’s public image.