Portret van Johann Paul Reinhard 1778

Editor: Here we have Johann Elias Haid’s 1778 engraving, "Portret van Johann Paul Reinhard," on paper. There's something about the formality of these older portraits that I always find a bit... stuffy, I guess? It's well-executed, but I can’t help but wonder about the story behind this particular professor. What do you see when you look at this engraving? Curator: Stuffy, you say? Perhaps. But within that supposed stuffiness, I sense a controlled vibrancy. It makes me consider the sitter's station in life. Here's a man presented within layers—an oval frame, set within a rectangular plaque bearing an inscription in Latin. Look closer, Editor. Who *was* Johann Paul Reinhard? Professor of History, it would appear. Editor: The text beneath the portrait certainly says that! Still, I feel there’s something missing. Curator: Consider the gaze. There's a directness, an intelligence there, isn't there? Haid's meticulous detailing hints at the professor's importance. Think of the late 18th century in Germany. There was the burgeoning Enlightenment and its impact on intellectual circles like the professor’s! Can you sense any of that represented here, beyond just a simple recording of his features? I would hazard that those seemingly fussy, intricate details of the lace and wig, the controlled pose, these elements subtly underline the Enlightenment's emphasis on order, reason, and scholarship. The inscription, in praising him for being good, wise and favored by Apollo, underlines just how crucial education was. Almost gives him the air of a slightly smug, but incredibly important scholar. What do *you* make of that, now? Editor: Well, putting it that way makes me see more than just “stuffy." He’s not just a face from the past; he represents something about the era, a moment in history… He has been, dare I say it, defluffed. Curator: Precisely! And isn’t it fascinating how a single piece of art can hold such depth once you begin to unpack its layers? A perfect little pocket-sized portrait, full of history and quiet revolution.