Portret van Catharina de Bourbon 1576 - 1614

This is Thomas de Leu’s portrait of Catharina de Bourbon, made around the turn of the 17th century. The oval frame immediately draws our focus, creating a structured space where the sitter's face becomes the focal point. De Leu employs a meticulous engraving technique, using fine, dense lines to define form and texture. The intricate details of Catharina's dress, with its elaborate ruff and decorative embellishments, contrast with the smoothness of her face. This contrast between texture and smoothness is not just aesthetic. Semiotically, the rich garments are signs of status and power, and the portrait's graphic style reflects the cultural codes of representation of the period. We may explore the balance between ornamentation and the sitter's own features. De Leu’s graphic style destabilizes established meanings of beauty and power, engaging with new ways of thinking about representation in a rapidly changing world.