Portret van Hennig Philipp von Stammer 1746

Johann Martin Bernigeroth created this portrait of Hennig Philipp von Stammer using etching techniques. The composition is dominated by a central figure, framed by ornate borders and heraldic symbols that evoke a sense of formality and status. The subject's gaze is direct, engaging the viewer with an air of confident authority. Bernigeroth employs a structured arrangement where the portrait is meticulously framed with symbolic elements. These are not merely decorative; they function as signs within a semiotic system that constructs and reinforces von Stammer's identity. The heraldry, inscriptions, and the very style of the engraving serve to communicate his lineage, status, and virtues. The portrait operates within the visual language of its time, using symbols to convey complex social and political meanings. By decoding these elements, we begin to understand how the artist and patron used visual rhetoric to assert power and legacy. It is a carefully constructed image designed to fix the subject within a web of established meanings.