Penning met het portret van Boudewijn V en de namen van de graven van Vlaanderen 1685 - 1720

Curator: I’m struck by the stark contrast within this circular pen drawing. Anonymous made this artwork—called "Penning met het portret van Boudewijn V en de namen van de graven van Vlaanderen," sometime between 1685 and 1720. Its details pull you in despite the compressed composition. Editor: The way everything spirals out from the center—the king and his heraldic shield—to become a kind of genealogical diagram is quite arresting. It feels medieval in spirit. Curator: Well, the artist indeed harkens back to earlier visual systems and iconographies—to suggest historical continuity. Look at Baldwin V; the sword, the crown—he embodies power but within a framework of names, dates, almost bureaucratic. Editor: True, it feels more like an administrative record than a heroic portrait. The engraving flattens him; even the heraldic lion seems a bit…deflated. There’s very little tonal range here, which emphasizes line over volume, diagram over drama. Curator: Think of this, though: lineage is everything! The weight of inheritance and obligation! Each name a king who defines Baldwin as an inheritor—it builds a sense of legitimate succession. He needs that weight. Editor: Absolutely. And there's something pleasing about how contained it all is within the circular format—like a coin or a seal, lending a certain official weight. It all sits together so tightly, but without visual variety the names begin to wash together. Curator: It’s about the impact, I suppose—the list reminds you these weren't nobodies, while Baldwin centers that continuity by taking his place inside that powerful genealogy. He’s almost enshrined by it. The circular format even mirrors that ritualistic nature, recalling a king’s circle. Editor: I agree it feels comprehensive, conclusive even. A formal proclamation, captured within a set, finite shape. Curator: Yes, like it is stating this once and for all: these were the kings that made Baldwin! Thank you for helping see it that way. Editor: And thank you! What at first appears simple contains a complex story and construction, after all!