Portret van Bernhard Albrecht op 64-jarige leeftijd 1633 - 1699

This undated portrait of Bernhard Albrecht at 64 years of age was made anonymously, though its style suggests it comes from the Northern Renaissance. We see Albrecht framed within an oval, surrounded by Latin text denoting his role as a pastor and senior of the Augsburg church. During the Reformation, the representation of religious figures shifted dramatically. Albrecht's stern gaze and formal attire speak to the period's changing attitudes towards religious authority and the individual’s relationship to the divine. While the Catholic church maintained the pomp and circumstance of representing religious figures, the Reformation introduced a new emphasis on the individual. Portraits like these gave visibility to the figureheads of the Protestant movement, and helped to disseminate their beliefs among the masses. In its stark, unidealized portrayal, this portrait offers a window into the religious and social upheavals of its time. It reminds us of the emotional and intellectual intensity that fueled the Reformation, and the lasting impact it had on the representation of identity and belief.