Busteportret van Karel Albert de Longueval 1628 - 1670

Pieter de Jode II created this engraving, "Busteportret van Karel Albert de Longueval", which now resides in the Rijksmuseum. Consider the Dutch Republic in the 17th century, a society undergoing immense transformation through trade, religious conflict, and burgeoning national identity. This portrait of Karel Albert de Longueval, with its detailed rendering of his armor and noble bearing, offers a glimpse into the constructs of power and masculinity of the era. The crisp lines of the engraving capture not just a likeness, but an ideal. How did class and nobility influence the very perception of self? Longueval’s gaze and posture subtly convey authority. It makes me wonder about the tensions between the individual and the societal role they inhabit. The portrait immortalizes his status, yet it also invites us to consider the fleeting nature of power and the human condition behind the title.