Portret van Raimondo graaf van Montecuccoli c. 1663 - 1695

This is Christiaan Hagen's portrait of Raimondo Montecuccoli, made with engraving techniques in the Netherlands, sometime in the late 17th century. It presents us with a vision of military might, depicting Montecuccoli in gleaming armour, a baton in his hand, with a battle raging in the background. But beyond the surface, what does this image tell us about the culture that produced it? The Dutch Republic, though small, was a major economic power with global trading networks, and the military successes of figures like Montecuccoli would have been of great interest. Prints like these were crucial in shaping public opinion and celebrating military prowess. It is a fascinating task for historians to use archival sources from the period to understand the precise role this image played in the Dutch Republic's complex relationship with military power. The image may have been an attempt to rally support for military campaigns.