Portret van Tommaso Francesco van Savoye 1628 - 1670

Curator: Looking at this image, I am immediately struck by its somber yet noble air. It feels like a quiet contemplation on power. Editor: Indeed. What we're seeing here is "Portret van Tommaso Francesco van Savoye," or "Portrait of Thomas Francis of Savoy," rendered in the meticulous strokes of an engraving. Pieter de Jode the Younger, likely crafted it sometime between 1628 and 1670. Curator: That's interesting because the Baroque style gives off an aristocratic flair. This portrayal, while classic, also manages to feel intimate, like we're catching a glimpse of him off duty, armor and all. Editor: The inclusion of armor speaks to something much broader, actually. Seventeenth-century portraiture, especially engravings like this which could be widely disseminated, were powerful tools for constructing and solidifying a ruler's image. The armor is a symbol of martial prowess, and therefore authority. The hunting scene playing out behind him reinforces a sense of dominion over nature and by extension, his subjects. Curator: Ah, so it's not just fashion! Though I confess, I'm also admiring the detail. The texture of his hair against the cold steel of the armor... It's quite tactile, despite being just ink on paper. And what is he holding? Is that a marshal's baton? Editor: Precisely. Consider it as symbolic currency within a very defined visual language of power. The placement of this print, who saw it, who owned it – it was all part of shaping public perception. Curator: It's fascinating how an artwork that seems so straightforward on the surface can be layered with so much intent. It really pulls you in to contemplate the social theatre of the time. Editor: It does make one consider how images function in a public space, and the ways those visual cues were so carefully manufactured to sway those spaces. Curator: Makes you wonder what kind of portraits are doing that now. Editor: A very sobering question indeed. Thank you.