Bildnis Heinrich Rahn

Counterpart to inv. 1947/0007. The Swiss mercenary and commander Heinrich Rahn (c. 1483-1548) was commander of the Castello Sforzesco in Milan in 1515; after his return he became involved in the great Swiss mercenary trial of 1516. In 1529 he took part as captain in the First Kappel War, and in 1531 in the Müsser War. From 1532 he was a member of the Grand Council, then Chief Bailiff in Stammheim, Bailiff in Kyburg, Municipal Master Builder, Seckelmeister and Imperial Bailiff. He often took part in sessions as Zurich's envoy. According to the inscription on the picture, the sitter must have been born around 1490. The identification with Heinrich Rahn is correct, however, and can be confirmed by comparison with other portraits of Rahn that depend on Aper's original (Vögtegalerie Schloss Kyburg, then two copies, deposited in Zurich, Schweizerisches Landesmuseum, Dep. 2437 and 2699, see Lucas Wüthrich/Mylène Ruoss: Katalog der Gemälde. Swiss National Museum Zurich, 1996, nos. 612 and 613). Source