Portret van keizer Karel VI, ten voeten uit 1710 - 1740

Andreas Schmutzer made this print of Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, in the first half of the 18th century. Its formal qualities aren't really what grab our attention today. What strikes us most is the full-throated assertion of imperial authority. Think about the time in which this was produced. The Holy Roman Empire was a patchwork of territories, and increasingly weak. The Habsburg emperors needed to make a show of strength, all the more so as their dynastic line was in question. Note the trappings of power surrounding Charles, the crown, the sceptre, the ermine robes. The print would have been part of a campaign of self-promotion, a kind of advertising using the latest print technology. Historians consult prints like these to learn about the messages rulers wanted to project, the audience they were trying to reach, and the resources they had at their disposal. In short, artworks like this provide valuable insights into social and institutional contexts.