Portret van Lazarus Karl von Wölckern 1779 - 1829

Carl Hermann Pfeiffer made this portrait of Lazarus Karl von Wölckern in Nuremberg around 1727. In this engraving, von Wölckern, a nobleman and advisor to the Holy Roman Emperor, appears with symbols of his status. The column, the heavy curtain, and his ornate clothing signal his wealth and power, reflecting the rigid social hierarchies of the time. Von Wölckern is literally framed as someone set apart. What does it mean to be elevated to the status of high art? What kinds of social expectations come with this position? Consider the institutions that supported Pfeiffer's work, too. The engraving was a medium of mass communication. How would the printing and distribution of images like this one reinforce existing ideas about class, power, and the role of the individual within society? To understand this image more fully, we might consult genealogical records, historical accounts of the Holy Roman Empire, and studies of the era's print culture. Each of these can shed light on the rich context in which this portrait was created and consumed.