Portret van bisschop Stephen Gardiner c. 1669 - 1731

Pieter van Gunst created this print of Bishop Stephen Gardiner sometime between 1659 and 1724. Gardiner lived in a tumultuous period of English history, navigating the religious upheaval of the Reformation. His identity was complex: he was a staunch defender of Catholic orthodoxy, yet he served under Henry VIII, who broke with Rome. Gardiner’s story reflects the shifting sands of power, where religious and political affiliations were often a matter of survival. This portrait, with its ornate frame and Latin inscription, presents Gardiner as a figure of authority and intellect, but it also hints at the controversies surrounding him. How do we reconcile his commitment to tradition with his role in a period of radical change? Perhaps, in the end, Gardiner represents the human capacity to adapt, to negotiate identity within the currents of history.