Portret van Jan van Leiden 1605

Curator: So, what jumps out at you about this rather peculiar portrait? Editor: Well, here we have Christoffel van Sichem's "Portret van Jan van Leiden," an engraving from 1605, housed in the Rijksmuseum. The amount of text is overwhelming at first glance, and the fellow portrayed has an intense stare and appears trapped, somewhat confined by the words, don't you think? What do you see in this piece? Curator: Indeed! You've picked up on the intensity immediately, and this is because Van Leiden, also known as John of Leiden, was a controversial Anabaptist leader. Now, while Sichem created this well after Van Leiden's death, look closely: do you notice anything about the objects surrounding him? Editor: I see a crown, swords… symbols of power, surely? And is that his name inscribed below? So, this is supposed to be a king? Curator: Precisely. Jan van Leiden briefly established a radical, theocratic kingdom in Münster. Sichem, much later, seems to want to document and, arguably, condemn the figure. Editor: Ah, okay, the sword and crown are meant to convey something of his story! I almost feel as though the tight crop of the portrait and abundance of surrounding text is designed to constrain this king and almost suffocate him with the sheer weight of history. It has had an emotional impact, to say the least! Curator: Precisely! It is quite unsettling, isn't it? The dense text almost prisons the subject, doesn’t it? Editor: Absolutely. It’s amazing how historical context transforms a simple portrait into a complex narrative about power, religion, and judgment. Curator: Yes! A good reminder that what’s around the portrait shapes what’s in the portrait, too!