Portret van keizer Leopold I 1658 - 1731

This is a portrait of Emperor Leopold I, made by Pieter van Gunst using the technique of engraving. Born in the Netherlands, Van Gunst spent much of his career working in England, suggesting the increasing connectedness of European institutions of art and power in the 17th and 18th centuries. Leopold, of course, was the Holy Roman Emperor, whose image was widely circulated and who used such images to reinforce his authority. Note the trappings of royalty - the heavy wig, the elaborate clothing, the crown, the heraldry. Leopold’s power was divinely sanctioned, but it was also dependent on how well he could shore up political alliances and carry out military campaigns. The institutions of monarchy, warfare, and religious authority were all deeply intertwined at this time. Historians interested in the study of power consult sources such as letters, diaries, and financial records to gain a complete picture of the world inhabited by the monarchy and its subjects. Each artwork opens a portal into a specific time, place, and set of social relations.