Portret van Lodewijk Napoleon Bonaparte, koning van Holland 1809

This is a portrait of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, King of Holland, captured by Ludwig Gottlieb Portman in an engraving. The King is adorned with multiple starbursts across his jacket, symbols of status. These starbursts echo symbols of divinity, of solar power, found in ancient Babylonian and Egyptian art. Consider, for example, the radiating sun discs associated with deities like Ra, or the star-like rosettes adorning Ishtar, symbols appropriated by royalty to signify their divine right. Here, in 19th-century Holland, the starburst serves a similar function. It’s fascinating how such motifs recur through time, subtly shifting in meaning yet retaining a core resonance. These symbols speak to our collective memory, and to an instinctual human desire to link power with the celestial, engaging viewers on a subconscious, emotional level. The echoes of ancient gods resonate even in the trappings of a modern king.