Silhouette
Fine Arts
Inventory number
2026.5.5.1.FA.OT.C1820.DE
Description
Silhouette portrait executed in the technique of verre églomisé, with the design incised and painted on the reverse of the glass using gold and dark pigment. The composition is arranged as a funerary or commemorative monument: a triangular stele rises from a stepped base, with the sitter’s profile placed at the centre within a circular medallion. At the top of the monument, a dove is shown holding a laurel wreath in its beak. Below, the triangular upper section descends toward the circular portrait medallion, which contains the black profile silhouette of a man with a bald head, prominent nose, and strong chin. The medallion is encircled by a serpent forming an ouroboros, a symbol traditionally associated with eternity and the cycle of life and death.
Beneath the portrait, the monument broadens into a rectangular plinth bearing the inscription: “TAUBEN EINFALT / SCHLANGEN KLUGHEIT.” This phrase refers to the biblical exhortation from Matthew 10:16, traditionally translated as “innocent as doves and wise as serpents.” Placed below the sitter’s portrait, it functions as a moral motto, presenting him as a figure of Christian sincerity, purity of heart, prudence, and practical wisdom. The lower part of the monument is finished with an engraved stepped base.
The image is set against a textured cardboard ground decorated with a repeated circular floral pattern. The whole composition is enclosed within a red-toned frame, whose corners are marked by black square blocks decorated with gilt sunburst or floral motifs. The surface is protected by glass, reinforcing the object’s function as a preserved memorial portrait.
Materials
Glass
Gold
Cardboard
Wood
Ink
Origin
circa 1820
Probably Germany
Dimensions
Length : 8.2 cm
Height : 12 cm