Portret van Jeremias Jacobus Stenglin - Lucas Kilian

A detailed seventeenth-century engraving by Lucas Kilian, portraying Jeremias Jacobus Stenglin within an elaborate heraldic frame.

This engraving by Lucas Kilian depicts Jeremias Jacobus Stenglin, a figure of authority in Augsburg. Kilian, a member of a prominent family of engravers, demonstrates his technical precision through the controlled use of the burin. The portrait is contained within an oval frame, a common convention for seventeenth-century commemorative prints, which allows for the inclusion of heraldic elements and Latin inscriptions. The subject is dressed in the formal attire of his office, featuring a stiff ruff and a patterned doublet. The texture of the fabric is rendered through fine hatching and cross-hatching, techniques that define the volume of the figure against the darker background. The surrounding cartouche incorporates four smaller coats of arms in the corners, while a larger, more elaborate crest sits at the base, flanked by cherubic figures. These decorative additions provide context regarding the subject's lineage and social standing. Kilian's approach to portraiture reflects the formal requirements of the era, where the sitter's status is communicated through specific symbols of rank and a composed, dignified posture. The clarity of the lines and the balance of the composition demonstrate the high level of craftsmanship associated with the Augsburg school of printmaking during the early Baroque period. This work serves as a record of the individual's public identity, preserved through the medium of copperplate engraving. The print remains a clear example of the intersection between portraiture and heraldic display, capturing the aesthetic values of the seventeenth-century German elite.