Portret van Ulrich von Hutten 1814 - 1834

This is Georg Friedrich Vogel’s portrait of Ulrich von Hutten. The print, rendered with meticulous line work, presents a somber yet dignified figure framed within a multi-faceted geometric border. The contrasting tones—dark lines against the pale paper—create a striking visual rhythm. The composition invites a semiotic reading, where the subject's attire and accoutrements function as signs of status and intellect. The octagonal frame around the portrait not only confines, but also emphasizes the subject, setting up a visual tension that explores themes of identity and representation. The clean lines and the precision of the engraving speak to a desire for order, but the detailed rendering of von Hutten's features introduces an element of the individual. Ultimately, the portrait complicates the relationship between the universal and the particular, inviting us to consider how meaning is constructed through visual form.