Portret van Karel V 1530

This is Jan Swart van Groningen’s woodcut of Charles V, now at the Rijksmuseum. The image is defined by stark contrasts and linear patterns. Note the dense, parallel lines creating shadows and textures across Charles’s face and clothing. This technique, typical of woodcut prints, emphasizes form through line rather than tone. The hat, rendered with concentric curves, draws the eye, framing the face within its elaborate structure. Consider how the restricted tonal range enhances the symbolic weight. The reduction to essential lines and shapes invites us to decode the symbols of power: the staff, the ornate hat, the composed expression. The rigid lines and defined shapes fix Charles within the symbolic order of royalty, yet the imperfections inherent in the woodcut process subtly destabilize this image of power. The print is a balance between the assertion and the questioning of authority.