Portrait of the Princes Palatine Charles Louis I and his Brother Robert 1637

Anthony van Dyck painted this portrait of the Princes Palatine using oil on canvas. What strikes me most is the brothers’ armor. The metallic gleam, meticulously rendered, speaks to a highly developed craft tradition, involving skilled metalworkers capable of shaping and polishing these protective garments. The armor isn't just functional, it’s a statement of wealth and power. The labor involved in its creation, from mining and smelting the ore to the intricate crafting of each piece, underscores the social hierarchy of the time. Consider also the lace collars. They were created through painstaking handwork and were not cheap either. Van Dyck, through his artistry, elevates these markers of status. The painting highlights how materials and making are deeply intertwined with social and economic realities, blurring the lines between portraiture, craft, and social commentary.