Portret van Johann Winckler 1670 - 1724

This engraving by Jacob Gole depicts Johann Winckler, a pastor from Hamburg, and was likely made in the late 17th or early 18th century in the Netherlands. Winckler is shown with a book, presumably the Bible, open in front of him. This visual code emphasizes his role as a religious leader and scholar within his community. The text inscribed at the bottom of the engraving reinforces this sense of his civic and religious importance, and it does so in relation to the institutions in which he worked, most notably St. Michael's Church. The fact that Winckler is a pastor from Hamburg connects the print to the religious and social history of that region. During this period, Hamburg was a center of religious and intellectual life, and the role of the pastor was central to the community. To fully understand this engraving, we might consult parish records, local histories, and other documents that shed light on the role of religious figures in 17th and 18th century Hamburg. The meaning of a work like this is always contingent on its social and institutional context.