Portret van Pietro Strozzi before 1601

Dominicus Custos created this portrait of Pietro Strozzi using engraving techniques sometime between 1575 and 1615. As a member of the prominent Florentine Strozzi family, Pietro was part of a complex web of political and military power. Dominicus Custos captures Strozzi in full military regalia, a proud display of status, with his hand firmly on his weapon. This pose represents an identity that is very masculine. However, the story behind the portrait is more nuanced. Strozzi was a leader in the fight against the Medici, who had ousted his family from Florence. His identity was inextricably linked to the history of Florence and its political conflicts. What does it mean to carry the weight of familial and political history in one’s identity? Custos's engraving invites us to contemplate the interplay between personal identity, family legacy, and political turmoil.