Busteportret van Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, graaf van Alva 1628 - 1670

Curator: Here we have a bust portrait of Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, the Duke of Alva, crafted sometime between 1628 and 1670 by Pieter de Jode II. It's an engraving, part of the Rijksmuseum's collection. Editor: Oh, instantly striking. There’s a stoicism to the portrayal, a sternness in his eyes and set of his jaw. The artist certainly captured the weight of authority, or perhaps the burdens that come with it. Curator: Indeed. Alvarez de Toledo was quite the figure in his time, a Spanish general and governor of the Netherlands. His name often evokes strong reactions given his role in the Eighty Years' War. Editor: And you see all that history etched in those fine lines, don’t you? Look at the detail in the engraving itself. Each line carefully placed to construct not just a likeness, but an entire persona. The oval frame and surrounding inscription feel like layers of identity, trapping him in history. Curator: It’s interesting you mention that, the inscription does a lot of work here, surrounding and almost binding him into this iconic role he embodies. Even his garments carry meaning—the chain, the ornamentation—all symbolic of power and nobility. Editor: Exactly. He becomes less a man, more an emblem. I see the rigid collar, that meticulously rendered beard, and it makes me consider how image and reputation were so deliberately constructed and disseminated in this era. Think of how few people would actually see the Duke in person; this print becomes his stand-in, the symbol of the Crown's authority. It echoes through time, really. Curator: It definitely offers a glimpse into how powerful figures curated their image in the 17th century. Consider also, what does it mean that someone created an engraving to remember and possibly celebrate this character? Editor: Mmm, what an interesting way of preserving him in time. More like fixing him on a particular vision we are bound to observe... It does feel quite final. Now, standing here reflecting, I keep looking at his eye! He seems quite troubled.