Zeitgenossen

About this artwork

Afkomstig uit de portretserie 'Zeitgenossen', uitgegeven tussen 1829 en circa 1840.

Art Historical Context

"Zeitgenossen" is a steel engraving created by Karl Barth between 1829 and around 1840 as part of a larger portrait series bearing the same title. The German word translates to "Contemporaries," indicating that the series aimed to capture likenesses of notable figures from the era. This particular print, measuring 193 by 132 millimeters, exemplifies the growing popularity of affordable, widely distributed portraiture in early nineteenth-century Europe. Steel engraving offered distinct advantages over earlier techniques such as copper engraving. Its harder surface allowed engravers to produce finer lines and greater detail while withstanding larger print runs, making images of public figures accessible to a broader audience. Barth’s work thus participated in a cultural moment when portrait series helped shape collective ideas of celebrity, national identity, and historical memory. Today the print serves as a modest yet telling artifact of its time. It reminds viewers how mechanical reproduction transformed the way people encountered their contemporaries long before photography became commonplace.

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...