Portret van Matthias Pasor - Johann Hoffmann

A seventeenth-century engraving of the scholar Matthias Pasor, rendered with the precise hatching techniques characteristic of Baroque portraiture.

This engraving depicts Matthias Pasor, a scholar known for his work in Oriental languages and theology during the seventeenth century. The portrait follows the conventions of academic and clerical iconography common to the period. The subject is presented in a bust-length format, wearing a plain doublet and a wide, flat collar, which identifies him as a man of learning and status.

The technique employed is typical of mid-seventeenth-century printmaking. The artist uses a system of parallel hatching and cross-hatching to define the contours of the face, the texture of the hair, and the folds of the clothing. The lines are precise, creating a sense of volume and shadow that gives the figure a three-dimensional presence against the neutral background. The inscription at the base identifies the sitter and his academic titles, a standard practice for portrait prints intended for inclusion in books or as independent commemorative sheets.

Johann Hoffmann, active as a publisher and printmaker in Nuremberg, produced this work to document the appearance of notable figures of the era. The composition is restrained, focusing entirely on the character of the sitter. The lack of decorative elements ensures that the viewer's attention remains fixed on the facial features, which are rendered with a degree of psychological realism. This print provides a clear example of how portraiture functioned as a tool for disseminating the likeness of intellectuals across Europe. It remains a valuable historical record of the academic community in the seventeenth century, capturing the austere aesthetic favoured by scholars of the time.