Portret van Leo Ravensburger - Lucas Kilian

A formal seventeenth-century engraving by Lucas Kilian, depicting the Augsburg magistrate Leo Ravensburger within an ornate, heraldic frame.

This engraving by Lucas Kilian depicts Leo Ravensburger, a figure of civic authority in Augsburg. Kilian, a member of a prominent family of engravers based in Augsburg, demonstrates his technical proficiency through the precise handling of the burin. The portrait is contained within an oval frame, a common convention for formal portraiture of the period, which is surrounded by elaborate cartouches and heraldic shields representing the subject's lineage and connections.

The subject is rendered in three-quarter view, wearing a cap and a heavy, fur-trimmed garment that suggests his status. His expression is composed, and he holds a small document in his hand, a detail often included in portraits of officials to signify their administrative duties. The background within the oval features fine hatching, which provides a subtle contrast to the subject and creates a sense of depth without relying on complex spatial settings.

The surrounding frame is decorated with scrollwork and putti, typical of the ornamental style prevalent in German printmaking during the early seventeenth century. The inclusion of four distinct coats of arms at the corners of the composition serves to identify the subject's family alliances. The Latin inscription surrounding the oval identifies Ravensburger as a duumvir, or magistrate, of the Republic of Augsburg. This print reflects the tradition of the commemorative portrait, where the sitter's identity is reinforced through both their physical likeness and the symbolic language of heraldry and civic office. The work is a clear example of the high level of craftsmanship found in the Augsburg school of printmaking, where the marriage of portraiture and decorative framing was a standard practice for documenting the lives of the urban elite.