Portret van Karel V te paard 1538 - 1542

Cornelis Anthonisz. made this print of Charles V on horseback in the Netherlands, at an unknown date, using ink on paper. The material itself—humble, abundant—belies the image’s intent. Look closely, and you can see the real labor here: the meticulous work of the printmaker, building tone with careful hatching. But consider too, the labor embodied by Charles V himself. His very role was to oversee the extraction of resources and management of people. The textures of the print, the fur trim, and the horse’s tack all speak to production, consumption, and power. Even the heraldic shield to the upper left implies a concentration of resources. Anthonisz. has given us not just a portrait of a man, but an image of an entire economic system, rendered through the craft of printmaking. By considering the means by which images like this were made, circulated, and consumed, we can understand the full social significance of this portrait.