Portret van Louis Leonard Tschudi 1702 - 1773

Editor: So, this is "Portret van Louis Leonard Tschudi," an engraving from between 1702 and 1773, by Antonio Baldi. There's something quite stately, almost severe, about this portrait... what do you see in it? Curator: This portrait isn't just about depicting an individual, but about embedding him within a complex web of power and identity. Consider the inscription – Louis Leonard Tschudi's titles are prominently displayed. How do you think that affected the work's original audience? What does it tell us about the intended viewers, their values, and how Tschudi wished to be seen? Editor: I suppose the elaborate inscription emphasized his social standing. The intended audience must have valued hierarchy. What else stands out to you in that sense? Curator: Exactly! The portrait functions as a tool of social legitimation, reinforcing Tschudi's position. Notice the strategic combination of military regalia—the helmet, the armor, which suggests authority, combined with the council title within a republic. This points to questions around how different forms of power and governance, such as military strength and civic duty, were being negotiated and displayed in 18th-century society. We must look at not just *who* is represented but *how*. Does that influence your view of it? Editor: Absolutely, the inclusion of the arms below his portrait seems more like part of the overall statement. Before, I saw it only as decoration. Curator: It’s a reminder that even seemingly straightforward images can be deeply entangled with power structures, social ideologies and class divisions that influenced the perception of the depicted persons in ways still felt to this day. Editor: This portrait makes me want to question not just who this man was but *why* his image was produced in this manner, and who had access to view this image and under which conditions. Curator: And there lies the true value of such investigations.