Portret van Alexander de Muncq op 55-jarige leeftijd 1710 - 1731

This is Pieter van Gunst’s engraving of Alexander de Muncq, created in the Netherlands around the turn of the 18th century. This formal portrait tells us much about the institutions of status in Dutch society at the time. De Muncq is framed by allegorical figures signifying Justice and Music, as well as his coat of arms. The composition asserts his place within a hierarchy. His clothing and hairstyle also speak to his status as a member of the upper class. In the Dutch Republic, portraits were commodities that helped to establish the status of the sitter. The display of wealth and status was especially important in a society dominated by trade. Patrons would have been keen to display their success. To understand this image more fully, historians might consult period sources, such as city records, genealogical information, and other visual and textual representations of the sitter and his family. These would reveal the extent to which this image is a true likeness, and to what extent it is an exercise in constructing an identity.