Portret van Guillaume Rondelet 1574 - 1612

Pieter van der Borcht the Elder created this portrait of Guillaume Rondelet using engraving. This image gives us a glimpse into the world of 16th-century intellectual life. Rondelet, a professor of medicine, is framed by images that reflect his work: animals, fruits, and perhaps medicinal herbs. The Latin inscription celebrates his work in revealing the secrets of the sea and naming its creatures, highlighting the era’s fascination with categorizing and understanding the natural world. Consider how class and education shaped Rondelet's identity and allowed him entrance to a world of scholarly pursuit at a time when such opportunities were limited. What does it mean to be celebrated as a learned man in this era? And how does this image contribute to the construction and preservation of his legacy? This portrait invites us to reflect on the cultural values of the time and the enduring power of representation.