Portret van Friedrich von Hessen-Kassel 1670 - 1713

This is Pieter Schenk’s portrait of Friedrich von Hessen-Kassel, an engraving measuring 250 by 184 mm. While undated, its creation falls within Schenk’s working years, 1660 to 1711. Portraits of the European aristocracy are a fascinating study in the construction of identity. Friedrich is shown in armor, a signifier of military prowess, yet his soft features, and elaborate, curled wig complicate any straightforward reading of masculinity and power. The lace cravat at his neck and his delicate features speak to a culture of courtly refinement and perhaps hint at the gender fluidity that existed in the European courts. Friedrich is literally and figuratively caught in the trappings of power. Above the portrait is inscribed 'Nec imbellem feroces progenerant aquila columbam,' meaning 'The fierce do not beget the unwarlike eagle a dove.’ Friedrich’s identity seems to be both self-fashioned and inherited. In what ways can we ever know ourselves outside of what is expected?