Portret van Samuel Edel - Balthasar Kühnen

A seventeenth-century portrait etching of the clergyman Samuel Edel, featuring detailed clerical attire and formal inscriptions.

This seventeenth-century print depicts Samuel Edel, a clergyman, captured in a formal bust-length pose. The work is a characteristic example of the period's portraiture, which often combined precise line work with scholarly attributes. Edel is shown wearing the traditional clerical attire of the time, including a dark robe and a simple white ruff collar. His expression is composed, and he holds a small book in his hands, a common motif used to denote the subject's piety and intellectual vocation.

The composition is framed by a rectangular border, with the upper section containing Hebrew and Greek inscriptions, alongside biblical references. These elements provide context regarding the subject's theological background and professional standing. Below the portrait, a large cartouche features German text in a gothic typeface, detailing Edel's name, his role as a pastor at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Ulm, his age of fifty-four, and his twenty-seven years of service in the ministry. The print demonstrates the technical skill of the engraver, particularly in the rendering of the fabric folds and the subtle shading of the facial features.

Balthasar Kühnen, working in the mid-seventeenth century, utilised a combination of etching and engraving techniques to achieve the varied tonal qualities seen in the background and the subject's clothing. The clarity of the lettering and the balanced arrangement of the portrait within the frame reflect the conventions of commemorative prints produced for ecclesiastical figures during this era. This piece offers a glimpse into the visual culture of the German Baroque, where portraiture served as a formal record of an individual's life and career within the church hierarchy.