A Physionotrace Portraitist

"A Physionotrace Portraitist" by Christoph-Wilhelm Bock, after Ambrosius Gabler, depicts an artist using a physionotrace, a device invented in the late 18th century for creating silhouette portraits. This work reflects the period's fascination with physiognomy and the democratization of portraiture through mechanical means.

The engraving "A Physionotrace Portraitist" by Christoph-Wilhelm Bock, after Ambrosius Gabler, depicts an artist engaged in the meticulous process of creating a portrait using a physionotrace, a device designed to capture accurate profiles. Rendered on buff wove paper, the composition is characterized by its detailed depiction of the apparatus and the focused demeanor of the artist, accompanied by a photograph of a ticket for a physionotrace sitting, which contextualizes the historical practice of portraiture in the late 18th to early 19th century.