To guarantee the authenticity of the illustrations, the copper engraver Haid created them in the presence of the original whenever possible. The painted originals were first detached from the frames, rolled up in parchment paper and, with the help of travelling tradesfolk, transported to Augsburg. A direct comparison between the oil painting by Georg Gottlob Richter (1694-1773) and the mezzotint leaf illustrate how Haid dealt with the original: while he copied Richter’s face with great precision, he then adapted the body posture and accessories of the person depicted in line with the uniform picture program of the “Bildersals”. Bookshelves, draperies and a table with books, which cannot be found in the original, are less of a reference to the individual person. Rather, they were typical and interchangeable elements of the contemporary representation of scholars.
