Portret van Gerhard Philipp Heinrich Norrmann 1775 - 1834

Konrad Westermayr created this print of Gerhard Philipp Heinrich Norrmann. This portrait presents us with an interesting window into the world of 18th-century German academia and courtly life. Norrmann, identified here as a court and university professor, occupies a specific social position, one which Westermayr visually communicates through the conventions of portraiture at the time. Consider the oval frame, a common motif in formal portraiture, or Norrmann’s powdered wig and refined attire. These details signaled status and intellect to contemporary viewers. The inscription below, noting Norrmann’s titles and place of birth, further situates him within a network of institutions and social hierarchies. To fully understand this image, we might turn to university archives, court records, and biographical dictionaries. What was Norrmann's field of expertise? What role did he play in the court? How did his work engage with the intellectual currents of the time? These questions help us understand the social world embedded in this portrait.