Bernhard, Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Udalric and Afra in Augsburg

Art Historical Context

This 1662 engraving portrays Bernhard, the abbot of the Monastery of Saints Ulrich and Afra in Augsburg, capturing a figure of religious authority from the Baroque era in southern Germany. Created by Bartholomäus Kilian after a design by Johann Heinrich Schön, the print reflects the period’s interest in commemorating ecclesiastical leaders through reproducible imagery. Such portraits often served both devotional and documentary purposes, preserving the likeness and status of prominent church figures for wider audiences. Executed as an engraving on laid paper, the work highlights the technical...