Portret van Bourquet 1759 - 1815

Heinrich Pfenninger created this portrait of Bourquet, with a height of 129 mm and a width of 84 mm, using engraving to achieve its delicate details. The oval composition centers on Bourquet’s face, framed by a meticulously rendered wig that cascades with soft, flowing lines. This offers a study in texture and form, where light and shadow dance across the curls, creating depth. The artist’s hand reveals an interest in the semiotic language of portraiture, in which the sitter's wig acts as a signifier of status and intellect. Note how Pfenninger uses the graphic nature of the engraving to flatten the image, abstracting Bourquet into a symbol. The engraving’s structure invites us to consider not just who Bourquet was, but how he was perceived through the formal codes of the period. The choice of rendering the subject's full wig and clothing is a purposeful construction, one that communicates power and prestige through established visual conventions.