Jørgen Brahe 1753 - 1754

Jonas Haas made this print of Jørgen Brahe sometime in the 18th century. It shows Brahe as a military leader but it also tells us much about the social and political history of Denmark. Haas was one of a number of European artists producing portraits of prominent military and political figures at this time. Through prints such as this one, likenesses could be mass produced and widely disseminated. Brahe is presented as a figure of power and authority, with a battle scene in the background. Flags and weapons further signal his military achievements. Prints like this were often commissioned or acquired by institutions such as libraries, allowing them to build collections of images documenting important people and events. Historians today rely on such collections as valuable sources of information. By studying these images and the contexts in which they were produced and circulated, we can gain a better understanding of the social values and political structures of the past.