Christoph Wilhelm Bock

Christoph Wilhelm Bock was a printmaker active primarily during the late eighteenth and early early nineteenth centuries, with his documented professional output spanning the period from 1785 to 1805. His work centers on engraved and etched portraiture, chronicling notable intellectual and political figures of the era.

Bock’s specialization is suggested by the title of one known work, A Physionotrace Portraitist, indicating involvement with the physionotrace technique, a precise mechanical process used widely at the time for producing accurate profile portraits. His known subjects include prominent German figures such as Portret van Anselm Franz, Freiherr von Bentzel-Sternau, Portret van Christoph Greiner, and Portret van Johann Ludwig Klüber.

Six of Christoph Wilhelm Bock's prints are currently represented in prominent museum collections, establishing his legacy. These holdings include major acquisitions at the Rijksmuseum and the Art Institute of Chicago. Because these historical prints are now in the public domain, downloadable artwork and documentation of his output remain accessible for study and research. His surviving works confirm his role in producing high-quality prints for the late Enlightenment period.