Portret van graaf Albert van Ligne prins van Brabancon en Arenberg te paard 1628 - 1660

This print depicting Count Albert van Ligne, Prince of Brabancon and Arenberg, was made by Pieter de Bailliu, likely in the mid-17th century. Equestrian portraits like this one were a common way for the European aristocracy to display their power and status. Looking closely, we see van Ligne in full armor, confidently mounted on a rearing horse. In the background, there's a military scene unfolding. This tells us about van Ligne's identity as a military leader and a nobleman. The work probably served as a piece of political propaganda, designed to reinforce the existing social hierarchy, with van Ligne at the top. To understand this image fully, we might dig into the history of the House of Ligne, their role in the politics and conflicts of the time, and the conventions of aristocratic portraiture in the Netherlands. Art history relies on these kinds of social and institutional contexts.