The volume "The Portrait Politics of Authorship" deals with a variety of different portrait forms that contribute to the image formation of poets, scholars, writers, and philosophers. The portrait of the author on or in a book is one of the most enduring image genres in Western culture. As a visual representative of an author, it authenticates a literary work and legitimizes its creator to a broad readership. Its lasting popularity is primarily due to diverse functionalities in social, economic, and political contexts. With the invention of precise reproduction techniques since the Early Modern period, new strategies and practices in the use of portraits of scholars and writers have developed, increasingly functioning independently of the book as effective promotional tools.