Portret van Claus Narr 1638

This print of Claus Narr, a court jester, was made in Strasbourg by Jacob van der Heyden. Court jesters in the 16th and 17th centuries occupied a precarious position. Employed by the aristocracy, they were given license to mock social conventions. But what does it mean to produce a print of such a figure? Prints like these circulated widely in Northern Europe. They served to advertise the figures represented, spreading their fame far and wide. The inscriptions here tell us that Claus Narr was famous throughout the German lands. More than this, the print makes a virtue of Narr's "simplicity", his unassuming nature. The image also has mottos alluding to truth and prudence. It seems to tell us that the jester is a figure who speaks truth to power. To understand this image fully we would need to examine court records to get a clearer picture of the precise role and function of court jesters in this period.