Portret van Rudolf Meyer 1755 - 1757

Rudolf Füssli created this print, titled "Portret van Rudolf Meyer," likely in the late 18th century. The work presents a bust-like portrait of Rudolf Meyer, framed within an architectural setting rendered with delicate lines. Notice how the composition is structured around a central, framed portrait, flanked by architectural elements. Füssli uses line work to define the subject's features and the surrounding structure. The texture, achieved through hatching and cross-hatching, gives depth to the stone and fabric. This elevates the sitter beyond a mere likeness and introduces an interplay between representation and monumentality. The portrait itself acts as a signifier, placed within a formal framework, suggesting a discourse on identity and historical representation. The architectural framing might allude to the sitter's status. Consider how the work functions both as a representation and a commentary on the act of memorializing through art. It prompts us to consider how artistic representations can be read as constructed symbols rather than straightforward depictions.