Portret van Johann Tobias Mayer c. 1799 - 1850

This is a portrait of Johann Tobias Mayer, professor of physics at Gottingen, etched by A. Burckhardt in 1796. What can this small portrait tell us about the world of science and culture in the late 18th century? The neat oval framing Mayer’s profile gives him the air of a Roman emperor, a figure of authority. The powdered wig and formal coat were the height of fashion, signifiers of the intellectual elite. Yet, as professor of physics, Mayer would have been a man of the Enlightenment, a movement that challenged the old hierarchies of power and birth. New institutions of science, like the University of Gottingen, were at the center of this shift, where thinkers could question established ideas. Historical portraits like this one offer a glimpse into the values of a society. You can dive deeper into this period through sources like university archives, scientific publications, and even fashion plates. By understanding the context, we can see how art both reflected and shaped the world around it.