The portrait was created in 1751, shortly before Johann Roederer was appointed to work in Göttingen as an obstetrician. Demonstrating a stretched-out thumb and index finger are common indicators for the positioning of the hand during vaginal examinations of pregnant women. The bone identifies him as a doctor whose skill is based on exact anatomical […]
FROM MIDWIFERY TO OBSTETRICAL SCIENCE Read More »
Even though Georg von Asch had only come to Göttingen for his studies, he maintained a close relationship with the Georgia Augusta throughout his life. Due to his position as a doctor in the medical administration of the Tsarist Empire in 1763, he was able to send a multitude of objects to Göttingen. The objects
DOCTOR ON DUTY TO SERVE YOUR MAJESTY Read More »
Christian Wilhelm Büttner, who was appointed to work in Göttingen as a professor for natural science in 1763, was not only a versatile scholar but also a passionate collector. In 1773 he bequeathed the University around 12,000 objects from his natural history collection in exchange for a life annuity. The objects were collectibles gathered from
SCHOLARLY PICTURE PUZZLE Read More »
The various series of scholar portraits were commonly exhibited in representative halls of the University such as the library or, as is the example here in Marburg, in the auditorium. They were intended to serve as role models for the students to emulate. Furthermore, it was supposed to express tradition and class consciousness of the
By the end of the 18th Century, the series of portraits of the Göttingen professors consisted of 40 paintings. In the beginning, they hung close together in the main conference hall (Konzilienhaus) of the University. The building was the scene of important decisions and served as a meeting place for the Göttingen scholars as well
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From the 17th century onwards, new places of knowledge had arisen through princely courts, academies and scholarly salons, which offered certain opportunities for women, especially those coming from noble backgrounds. Yet, the path to the university was still reserved for men. Dorothea von Schlözer (1770-1825) overcame the first hurdle on the way to a university
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David Hilbert (1862-1943) looks up from his desk and stares at the viewers of his portrait directly in the eyes, as if his reading session had only just been briefly interrupted. It is noteworthy that Hilbert’s 1928 painting was executed as a classical oil painting and was thus created at a time when photography was
A portrait book is not a neutral compilation but a selection. It puts certain people into a group and excludes others from it. The selection only follows the individual criteria of the publishers on a superficial level. After all, contemporary ideas of belonging matter as well. This shows itself particularly momentously in the time of
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With the advent of photography in the second half of the 19th century new pictorial motifs were created. In addition to studio shots, there was a steady increase of scholars being depicted in private environments. Compositions of couples were a particularly popular motif. The images transport a contemporary gender relationship, that assigns men and women
The doctorate of Dorothea von Schlözer caused upheaval far beyond Göttingen. Many of her contemporaries saw it as a transgression of current gender roles. This included former Göttingen student Wilhelm Friedrich August Mackensen (1768-1798) who recalled dismissively: Schlözer would lose her femininity over her learnedness. He was particularly offended by the fact that even during
HIGHLY COMPETITIVE PORTRAITS Read More »
