Portret van Kunigunda Schmidt

About this artwork

height 166 mm x width 127 mm

Art Historical Context

Georg Fennitzer’s “Portret van Kunigunda Schmidt,” dated 1670, presents a modest yet evocative portrait of its subject on paper. Measuring only 166 by 127, the work’s compact scale suggests it was intended for close, personal viewing rather than public display. Created during the late Baroque period, such portraits often served to record the likeness and status of individuals within their social or familial circles. The choice of paper as the medium points to techniques such as drawing or printmaking, which allowed artists to achieve fine detail while making images more widely shareable than large-scale paintings. These works frequently functioned as keepsakes, book illustrations, or entries in personal albums, reflecting the growing interest in individual identity and commemoration in 17th-century Europe. Fennitzer’s portrait thus offers modern viewers an intimate window into the everyday artistic practices of its time, where small paper works bridged the worlds of formal art and private memory.