Portret van Lodewijk de Vrome 1662

Editor: This is "Portret van Lodewijk de Vrome" (Portrait of Louis the Pious), an engraving made in 1662 by Coenraet Waumans. It's striking how formal it is, yet something about the expression feels a bit… unsure? How do you interpret this work? Curator: The formality stems from its potent symbolism. Consider the crown, not simply headwear, but an emblem of divine right, of power sanctioned by a higher authority. How does that intersect with our modern understanding of leadership and legitimacy, I wonder? Editor: Well, today we think more about democracy… power comes from the people. That crown feels…almost anachronistic. Curator: Precisely! Waumans created this long after Louis the Pious lived. It's a deliberate harkening back, a way to invoke cultural memory, to remind the viewer of a particular lineage and the values associated with it. Note the inscribed Latin text: “Victorious over all things true it is.” What truths do you think it's alluding to? Editor: Maybe the truths of kingship? Like divine right? And the crest at the bottom? Curator: Exactly. These weren’t merely portraits; they were arguments, carefully constructed visual statements about history, power, and identity designed for an early-modern audience that thought in terms of symbolic connections. I think you can see the appeal for later Baroque tastes: full of the authority that the patron wishes to assume for themselves. Editor: So, it's less about accurately portraying the man, and more about presenting a symbolic ideal of leadership. That gives the slightly awkward expression a whole new meaning. It’s about the office, not the individual. Curator: Yes, and by engaging with these historical symbols, Waumans invites us to consider what truly endures through time.