Portrait of Paul von Stetten - Lucas Kilian

A 1634 engraving by Lucas Kilian depicting the Augsburg magistrate Paul von Stetten, framed by heraldic cartouches and Latin inscriptions.

This engraving by Lucas Kilian depicts Paul von Stetten, a notable figure in the civic administration of Augsburg. Produced in 1634, the work demonstrates the technical precision characteristic of Kilian, a member of a prominent family of engravers based in the city. The portrait captures the subject in a formal, three-quarter view, dressed in the attire appropriate to his status as a magistrate. His doublet features detailed embroidery, and he wears a wide, flat collar common to the period.

The composition is framed by an architectural cartouche, a common device in seventeenth-century portraiture. The upper section contains the motto 'Veritas Sta. Vire' and heraldic shields representing the von Stetten and Rembold families. Below the portrait, a secondary cartouche provides the subject's name and titles in Latin, alongside the coats of arms for the Hochsteter and Schleicher families. Kilian employs a variety of hatching techniques to define the textures of the fabric, the softness of the facial features, and the metallic sheen of the decorative elements.

Kilian was trained in Italy before returning to Augsburg, and his work often reflects the influence of the Italian school of engraving, particularly in the clarity of line and the balanced arrangement of the frame. This print serves as a record of the social and political hierarchy in Augsburg during the mid-seventeenth century. The inclusion of multiple family crests suggests the importance of lineage and alliance in the public life of the era. The print is executed with a high degree of control, ensuring that the sitter appears both authoritative and accessible. The surrounding text and heraldry provide context for the sitter's identity, grounding the portrait in the specific historical reality of the Holy Roman Empire.