Portret van Juan Domingo de Zuñiga y Fonseca 1645 - 1668

Curator: Oh, this has a rather ethereal quality. At first glance, it almost appears as if this person is floating amongst cherubic clouds. Editor: Indeed! This engraving is a portrait of Juan Domingo de Zúñiga y Fonseca, dating from somewhere between 1645 and 1668. It's quite a striking piece of Baroque portraiture, wouldn’t you agree? Curator: Absolutely. Baroque! The dramatic flair, the almost theatrical presentation. Tell me more about Zúñiga himself; I suspect his identity deeply informs this work. Editor: He was quite a figure; a nobleman and military commander serving the Spanish crown. Understanding that gives us some insight into why he's depicted in full armor, wielding what appears to be a marshal's baton. The surrounding cherubs holding wreaths and trumpets clearly allude to notions of victory and divine favor. I mean, it seems to say “legitimacy”, wouldn’t you say? Curator: The armor becomes particularly interesting through a postcolonial lens, doesn’t it? We see the projection of power but must consider the legacies and impacts of Spanish military campaigns during this period, especially concerning Indigenous populations and enslaved Africans. Editor: You're so right. These images rarely just depict a person, it is a person shaped by an entire societal structure! Curator: I'm struck by the artist’s skillful use of line. It looks as though Adriaen Millaert managed to render such detail and texture with the bare minimum... there is such incredible detail in Zúñiga's hair and the folds of his garment, all achieved through the subtle variation in line weight and density. But again, Millaert used so many details with intention; not everything should be read as truth. Editor: That’s a great point! A very telling point. What was real and what was imagined, right? It is quite clever… and now that I see the title below... Curator: Exactly!