Portretten van Maurits, Filips Willem en Frederik Hendrik, prinsen van Oranje 1616 - 1620

This engraving, created by Laurens Eillarts, features portraits of Maurits, Filips Willem, and Frederik Hendrik, princes of Orange. It gives us a glimpse into the visual strategies through which power was asserted in the Dutch Republic. The print showcases the princes within an elaborate architectural framework, complete with classical motifs, weaponry, and Latin inscriptions. The inclusion of Romulus and Remus being suckled by a wolf at the base—a clear reference to the founding myth of Rome—suggests the princes' leadership was of similar historical importance. The image also features a list of names which are probably those who made significant contributions to the Dutch State. Made during a time of great political and social change, such imagery would have played a role in shaping public perception of the ruling class. Scholarly databases and archives offer valuable context for understanding such imagery. They can reveal how prints like these were circulated, consumed, and interpreted in their time. This emphasizes how art is always embedded in, and speaks to, its social and institutional context.