Portret van Hans Hermann Wostromirsky von Rockittnigk 1718 - 1748

Moritz Bodenehr created this portrait of Hans Hermann Wostromirsky von Rockittnigk using etching techniques sometime between the late 17th and early 18th centuries. At a time when social hierarchies were visually reinforced, portraiture served to immortalize the sitter’s position in society. Here, Wostromirsky, a General, is depicted in armour. He is framed by an array of military objects, including flags, spears, and canons, all underscoring his valor and might. The elaborate details, from the intricate scrollwork to the textures of the fabrics and metal, speak to the social status of the sitter, as does the Latin inscription which announces his titles. But we can also consider how such images operated in the creation and maintenance of cultural identity. In this case, how does the portrait contribute to the construction of masculinity and power? What emotions might this image have evoked in viewers of the time, and how do those feelings compare to our own? What stories remain untold? In reflecting on these questions, we can come to see how images like this one not only reflect the values of a particular time, but also shape and perpetuate them.