Portret van Karel V van Habsburg, Duits keizer en koning van Spanje 1818

Moritz Steinla created this print of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. The print reproduces a painted portrait that would have served a specific cultural function. As Charles V oversaw a vast empire, his likeness was circulated to project power and legitimacy. Portraits became tools for maintaining authority across distant territories. This later print by Steinla speaks to the institutionalization of art history. By the 19th century, figures like Charles V had become subjects of historical inquiry. The print itself reflects this shift. It transforms the painted portrait into a reproducible image, making it accessible to a broader audience. The Rijksmuseum, as an institution, plays a role in preserving and presenting these images, shaping our understanding of the past. To truly understand this print, we might explore how prints were disseminated in the 19th century, who collected them, and what purposes they served. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.