Frederik III 1646 - 1649

Curator: Right, let’s have a look at this impressive engraving. This is a portrait of Frederik III, rendered between 1646 and 1649 by Albert Haelwegh. It's an etching, predominantly using metal, now residing here at the SMK. Editor: My first impression is the weight of expectation. The sitter seems trapped, not necessarily unhappy, but definitely aware of the responsibility in the frame surrounding him. Almost suffocated by it. Curator: An excellent observation. Frames are, of course, loaded things, and in the baroque period, even more so. The inscription around it, almost coiling him in, underscores your sense of the burden. The baroque adored ornament as power. Editor: The weight of power quite literally worn around his neck! That elaborate chain is almost comically large. I also sense, maybe a subtle challenge in his gaze? Like he knows we're scrutinizing him. Curator: Yes, it is a deliberate engagement, this isn't merely recording likeness; it's establishing status and authority. The lace collar, the precise curl of his hair - all crafted to communicate divine right and impeccable lineage. He knew perfectly well this image would speak for him when he wasn't present. Editor: It is interesting the tension between control and exuberance in this portrait, how much we tend to believe an image reveals. Is it truth or carefully constructed theatre? Maybe its about a ruler controlling exuberance, both his and perhaps also within his country! Curator: The most fascinating portraits are always both. But remember what images *did* then, as compared to now. They shaped cultural memory itself, the king as not just *this* man but *all* rulers. Editor: That’s very true, what a portrait means for the individual is completely divorced from what it projects onto the society observing that portrait. And what it eventually leaves behind, to societies far, far in the future! The man may be long gone but the constructed legacy endures, here! Thanks for this thought-provoking tour! Curator: A pleasure! Always rewarding to see how the echoes of these carefully constructed images still resonate today.