Medaillonportretten van Carlos en Isabella van Spanje before 1752

Curator: Before us, we have a print titled "Medaillonportretten van Carlos en Isabella van Spanje," made by David Coster, likely before 1752. What is your immediate take on this image? Editor: The linear quality feels dominant here; the consistent hatching creates a pervasive textural ground, against which the portraits emerge quite subtly. It's striking in its delicate reserve. Curator: The medallions themselves—how do they function symbolically in relation to the sitters, do you think? The inscriptions encircling each portrait also play a part, naturally. Editor: Circular forms always suggest wholeness, continuity, and here, immortality. The framing Latin texts enhance this sense of lasting fame and perhaps divinely sanctioned rule of Carlos and Isabella. Also the Lion depicted in the armor adds the immediate visual shorthand for royalty. Curator: Yes, the heraldic lion contributes to this regal narrative, along with details like Isabella's elaborately styled hair, further emphasized with pearls and precious stones. However, notice the almost impersonal treatment of their facial features—the reduction to clean, curving lines. What might this reveal about the print’s intention? Editor: It suggests, to me, less an attempt at true likeness than the construction of an ideal or an emblem. A symbolic representation triumphs over veristic depiction. And the subtle cross-hatching infuses an aura of refinement and perhaps idealized elegance. Curator: Precisely. Even the medium—this light pencil work on what appears to be toned paper—emphasizes this sense of measured elegance. It also speaks volumes about how these individuals wished to be perceived or remembered, as part of Spain’s regal lineage. Editor: Looking closely, one discerns a limited range of contrast which renders these portraits as restrained likenesses, far removed from expressions of individuality or emotion. In short, regal iconography presented to maintain dynastic legacies. Curator: That controlled elegance speaks to a specific cultural understanding of power and presentation. Editor: It has been fascinating to note how the stylistic and symbolic aspects blend to express dynastic ambitions and aristocratic tastes. Curator: Indeed. And a clear example of how portraits served as instruments of power long before photography became ubiquitous.