Portret van Georg Friedrich König

About this artwork

plaatrand: hoogte 188 mm x breedte 125 mm

Art Historical Context

This steel engraving by Karl Barth captures a formal portrait of Georg Friedrich König, a prominent early nineteenth-century figure. Created between 1829 and around 1840, the work measures just 188 by 125 millimeters, making it an intimate keepsake likely intended for private collections or printed publications. Barth, a skilled German engraver, specialized in such refined portraiture during the Biedermeier era, when demand grew for accessible images of notable individuals. Steel engraving was prized in this period for its exceptional durability and ability to render crisp, delicate lines—qualities that allowed publishers to produce thousands of impressions without losing detail. Unlike earlier copper plates, steel could capture subtle textures in clothing, hair, and facial features, lending the portrait both precision and a sense of quiet dignity. Today the print offers a window into the era’s cultural emphasis on commemoration and status. Its modest size and meticulous technique reflect how engraving helped democratize portraiture, transforming personal likenesses into enduring records of influence and memory for a widening audience.

About the Artist

Karl Barth · 1787–1853

Karl Barth (also known as Carl Barth or Johann Carl Barth, 1787–1853) was a versatile German artist who worked as a copperplate engraver, draughtsman, painter, illustrator, and portrait engraver during the late eighteenth and first half of the nineteenth centuries. Born in Eisfeld in the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen and dying in Kassel, Barth exemplified the multi-talented artist-craftsman of the Roman...