Portret van Christian, Graf Witt 1735

Bernhard Vogel created this portrait of Christian, Graf Witt using mezzotint, a printmaking process that allows for rich tonal values. Vogel worked during the late Baroque period, a time when portraiture was integral in constructing and communicating status and power. The portrait captures Graf Witt in partial armor, a visual signifier of military prowess, while his elaborate wig and delicate features subtly highlight the performative aspects of masculinity during this period. He is not necessarily presented as a warrior but as a noble, embodying a refined ideal of leadership. Portraits like these often served a propagandistic function, reinforcing social hierarchies and legitimizing the rule of the elite. What this portrait also reveals, perhaps unintentionally, is the constructed nature of identity and the lengths to which individuals went to project an image of authority and refinement. The emotional impact of this portrait lies in this tension: Graf Witt seems caught between the demands of tradition and the complexities of self-representation.