Kelkglas met het portret van Hendrik Hooft Daniëlsz before 1798

This clear glass, standing just over 15cm tall, features an engraved portrait of Hendrik Hooft Daniëlsz. We don't know the artist. This object speaks to a particular kind of cultural moment in Dutch history. Hendrik Hooft Daniëlsz was a prominent figure, serving multiple terms as mayor of Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age. To see his likeness on a drinking glass underscores the intimate relationship between power, representation, and daily life. The choice of glass as a medium is itself significant. Glassblowing came to prominence in the 17th Century, and was a display of wealth and access. Consider the act of raising a glass bearing Hooft’s image: a gesture of loyalty, celebration, or perhaps even veiled critique. What does it mean to literally consume, or be consumed by, the image of authority? It asks us to reflect on how we internalize the ideologies and figures that shape our world.