Portret van Nikolaus Hunnius 1705 - 1769

Curator: Here we have a portrait of Nikolaus Hunnius; this engraving comes to us from sometime between 1705 and 1769 by Christian Fritzsch. Editor: The textures here—the roughness of the stone-like surround of the portrait, the softness of the fur—create a strong visual contrast. Curator: Absolutely, and I'd point out that Fritzsch chose engraving as the medium to highlight the contrast between status and work. The rigid lines created through the process, requiring intense labor and specific tools, bring attention to the economic realities that underpin someone like Hunnius's authority. It invites us to consider who actually did the labor to uphold his position. Editor: It's fascinating how the sharp lines accentuate Hunnius' stern expression. There is a symbolic weight embedded within the details – the book, the clerical collar – these aren't simply incidental items, but crucial semiotic indicators of his position. What do you make of the Baroque elements? Curator: In this historical moment, it points us to questions of power and its image cultivation. Someone had to pay for the materials to begin with and commission an artist with skill. Someone likely owned a printing press that could mass produce such an image. Editor: Looking at this I feel almost drawn in, yet there is something a bit cold about his gaze that holds you at bay, preventing genuine emotional access. The very composition, encircled in stone, reinforces that distance. Curator: Yes, precisely. Even the labor to display his social standing, embedded into every groove and etched line, reveals an attempt to both establish authority and broadcast it widely, through networks of consumption, exchange, and maybe, gifting and exchange, and how the making of the piece connects it to those different aspects. Editor: Indeed, seeing the artistry as embedded in the context gives me so much to ponder when experiencing it today. Curator: I’ll never look at engravings the same way. The textures in the image really invite a more tactile understanding.