Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk 1735

Editor: This is Jacobus Houbraken's portrait of Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s intricate, with a lot of detail in the Duke's clothing and the surrounding ornamentation. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a deliberate construction of power and privilege, framed within the context of Tudor England's sociopolitical landscape. Note how the cherubic figure sits almost casually with the discarded crown. What statement does that make about inherited power versus divine right? Editor: So, it's less about the individual and more about the system he represents? Curator: Precisely. How does situating Howard's portrait within the broader history of class and gender dynamics shift our understanding of it? Editor: It really reframes my perspective. I was initially drawn to the aesthetic, but now I see the subtle, critical commentary embedded within the piece. Curator: Exactly! Art can be a powerful form of cultural critique.