Sigismund Jakob Holzschuher - Andreas Matthäus Wolfgang

A formal Baroque engraving of Sigismund Jakob Holzschuher, featuring detailed period attire and heraldic elements.

This engraving by Andreas Matthäus Wolfgang depicts Sigismund Jakob Holzschuher, a member of the prominent Nuremberg patrician family. The work follows the conventions of late seventeenth-century portraiture, presenting the subject within an oval frame set against a rectangular architectural background. The composition is formal and balanced, typical of the period's commemorative prints.

Holzschuher is shown in three-quarter view, wearing a voluminous periwig and a cravat with lace detailing. His attire, including the coat with decorative buttons and the sash, reflects the fashion of the era. The artist employs precise line work to render the textures of the fabric and the curls of the wig. The oval frame contains Latin text detailing the subject's name, titles, and dates of birth and death, a common feature in European portrait prints of this time. Below the frame, a coat of arms is displayed on a pedestal, adding a heraldic element that identifies the subject's social standing.

Andreas Matthäus Wolfgang was a skilled engraver based in Augsburg, known for his ability to translate painted portraits into the medium of print. This particular work is based on a painting by Daniel Savoye. The engraving demonstrates the technical proficiency required to achieve tonal variation through hatching and cross-hatching, creating a sense of depth and volume in the subject's features and clothing. The print serves as a record of the individual's appearance and status, preserved through the medium of copperplate engraving. The clean lines and structured arrangement of the elements demonstrate the disciplined approach characteristic of Baroque printmaking. This piece offers a glimpse into the visual culture of the German aristocracy, where such portraits were often commissioned to document lineage and public office.