A Transient Likeness: The Life and Art of John Christian Rauschner Born in Frankfurt, Germany around 1760, John Christian Rauschner emerged as a fascinating figure in the landscape of early American portraiture. He wasn’t a painter capturing fleeting moments on canvas, but a sculptor working with the delicate medium of wax – an art form that offered an uncanny immediacy and intimacy. While his origins lie steeped in the traditions of European *Modelleurs* and *Stuccateurs*, Rauschner's artistic journey took him across the Atlantic to a burgeoning nation eager to document its prominent citize…