Portret van Ferdinand IV, koning van Hongarije, Bohemen en het Heilige Roomse Rijk 1644

Pieter de Jode II created this print of Ferdinand IV in 1644. Ferdinand was heir apparent to the Habsburg Empire during the tumultuous Thirty Years’ War, a conflict rooted in religious and political tensions. Here, Ferdinand is depicted with the visual symbols of power: regal clothing, and a crown hovering above his head. His youthful appearance and delicate features, however, contrast with the gravity of his position. The portrait captures the constructed nature of identity, particularly for those born into power. Ferdinand's identity was not solely his own, but also a symbol of dynastic ambition, religious authority, and political control. The print serves not just as a depiction of an individual, but as an artifact that embodies the complex intersections of power, identity, and representation in 17th-century Europe. It serves as a reminder of how personal identity is so often shaped by broader historical and political forces.