Portret van Ludolph Friedrich von Laffert 1801 - 1824

This is a portrait of Ludolph Friedrich von Laffert, made by Johann Christian Ernst Müller using etching and possibly engraving. The man’s dress and powdered wig speak to the social conventions of late eighteenth, early nineteenth-century Europe. The inscription tells us that he was a court and government official in Celle, a town near Hannover, Germany. His gaze is averted, his expression calm. It is interesting to consider the role of portraits during this period. They weren’t just about capturing a likeness, but about conveying status and respectability. A portrait was a way of signaling one's place in the social hierarchy. If we want to know more about Laffert’s status, the institutions he served, and the social circles he moved in, we might consult genealogical records, local histories, and archival documents relating to the court in Celle. In this way, we can use the tools of social history to interpret this portrait, understanding it not just as an image of an individual, but as a reflection of the social and political world.