Portret van Skanderberg 1549 - 1575

This is a small anonymous print portraying Skanderbeg. It's difficult to date this piece with the information we have, but it seems to have been made some time after Skanderbeg's death in 1468. Skanderbeg was an Albanian lord who is celebrated to this day for leading a long resistance against the expansion of the Ottoman Empire into Europe. As such, this print is likely tied to the cultural and political milieu of 16th - 18th century Europe, when the story of Skanderbeg became a popular symbol in art and literature, representing Christian resistance to Ottoman power. The image creates meaning through visual codes. The elaborate border around the portrait and his elaborate hat point to his nobility. Further research into the print's origins and circulation would be needed to fully understand its significance, but it’s clear that the image's meaning is contingent on its historical and cultural context.