Enno I, tweede graaf van Oost-Friesland

Pieter Feddes van Harlingen made this print of Enno I, second count of East Friesland, at an unknown date. The visual codes here speak of power and authority. Made in the Netherlands, this portrait encapsulates the socio-political landscape of its time. The inclusion of Enno's coat of arms, his clothing, his pose, and the landscape behind him all contribute to the construction of his identity as a ruler. The attention to detail, typical of Dutch art, shows the wealth and status associated with Enno’s position. Historical documents, genealogical records, and studies of Dutch aristocratic culture, can give us more insight into the institutional context that shaped this portrait, and how it functioned as a statement of power. The meaning of the artwork, in the end, is always contingent on its social and institutional context.