Portret van Anton Kühl 1749 - 1760

Friedrich Schoenemann created this portrait of Anton Kühl, likely as an engraving. Note the dominant symbols of faith and intellect. Kühl is depicted with a book in hand and another open on the table, symbols of knowledge and scholarship. Behind him, a bookcase reinforces his learned persona. Look closely at the cartouche at the bottom, with the symbol of Christ on the Cross. This harks back to the classical motif of the hero’s triumph, here refigured in Christian terms: suffering leading to salvation. Such imagery, though rooted in religious doctrine, has its antecedents in ancient victory tropes, where heroes were glorified after enduring trials. Consider how the gesture of the hand, gently resting upon the book, echoes images of classical orators. The hand is a vehicle of expression, and the gesture transcends time, evolving from declarations of power to emblems of scholarly pursuit. The portrait not only captures the likeness of Anton Kühl but also taps into a reservoir of collective memory, where gestures and symbols resonate with meanings accumulated over centuries.