Graven van Vlaanderen 1700 - 1735

This is an undated print titled "Graven van Vlaanderen" by an anonymous artist. It depicts a grid of head and shoulder portraits of the Counts of Flanders, an area in present-day Belgium. Prints like this one were tools for constructing and disseminating historical narratives. Each count is rendered with careful attention to their clothing and headwear, signifying rank and status. What do these faces tell us? Whose stories get told and whose are left out of the frame? The concentration of power in a single gender reflects the patriarchal structures of the time, underscoring the limited roles available to women. Consider the power dynamics inherent in representation itself, asking ourselves how these images shaped perceptions of leadership. "Graven van Vlaanderen" serves as a reminder of the ways in which art can both reflect and reinforce the social and political norms of its time.