Portret van Moses Mendelssohn 1770 - 1775

This is Johann Gotthard Müller's portrait of Moses Mendelssohn. The portrait, framed in an oval, signifies the sitter’s importance. Circular frames have ancient roots; think of classical cameos, a motif passed down through generations. They invoke notions of completeness and eternity, an unbroken cycle of life and legacy. Yet, the oval subtly distorts this perfection, suggesting the individual’s unique deviation from the ideal. Here, the oval encircles Mendelssohn, a philosopher of the Enlightenment. This reference has been reborn in various eras, reappearing in Renaissance portraiture and even modern photography. In each context, the frame serves as both a boundary and a lens, shaping how we perceive the subject within. This act of framing speaks to our deep-seated need to categorize and understand, a psychological impulse as old as humanity itself. The symbol resurfaces again and again, each time carrying echoes of its past.