Portret van Job Fideiustus Heuser 1733 - 1789

This is Georg Heinrich Werner’s portrait of Job Fideiustus Heuser, captured through engraving sometime in the 18th century. It presents Heuser, a professor of philosophy and rhetoric, in the formal attire of his station. Portraits like these were not mere likenesses but powerful statements of identity and status. The elaborate wig, the heavy robes, and the formal pose all speak to Heuser's position within the academic and social hierarchy of his time. This image invites us to consider the relationship between outward appearance and inner identity. How does Heuser wish to be seen, and what does this tell us about the values of his society? Ultimately, this engraving is a window into the world of 18th-century academia, where knowledge and eloquence were highly valued. The portrait offers insight into the construction of identity within specific social roles.