Maria van Hongarije, landvoogdes der Nederlanden 1551

Curator: Looking at this, I am struck by a certain austerity, wouldn't you agree? Almost grave. Editor: Indeed. This piece is a metal relief portraying Maria van Hongarije, regent of the Netherlands, created anonymously around 1551. These kinds of engravings and carvings offered unique ways of circulating powerful images in that period. Curator: It’s almost a somber token, wouldn’t you say? The relief, I feel, speaks of someone very contained, guarded. I feel the coldness of metal adding to that. Editor: Right, the hardness of the metal reinforces a controlled and composed impression, while historically, it also highlights the economics of power. It speaks of political imagery during the Habsburg reign and reminds us of how calculated portraiture was at the time. These likenesses reinforced the sitter's legitimacy. Curator: Do you feel any connection, despite its small size? Its roughness, and perhaps what some consider crude engraving, gives me a strangely sympathetic response to her! Editor: Absolutely. This piece provides access, no matter how partial or manipulated, to a person navigating complex socio-political currents. And even the degradation visible in the piece makes her somehow more touchable, less formidable perhaps. Curator: Touch is exactly the word I had in mind! A physical, pocket-sized reassurance of power! Imagine the owner constantly feeling this... It feels different to a huge royal painting somehow! Editor: I think that’s the perfect point: that scale is tied into the image's purpose. Not designed to overwhelm like a vast canvas, it operates at a much more personal level. Its function in consolidating rule involved this intimate reach. Curator: An object history for the ages I guess, right here! It's just lovely isn't it! Editor: Yes, there's a lot packed into such a little disc. From artistic choices to politics, it makes for compelling, multifaceted art.