Portret van keizer Hendrik V 1557 - 1559

This is a portrait of Emperor Henry V, made as an engraving by Joos Gietleughen. The print depicts the emperor’s head in profile, encircled by an inscription in Latin, alluding to his imperial status. Images of rulers in medallions like this carry a lot of cultural weight. Royal portraiture serves a political function, reminding viewers of the ruler’s power, and sometimes, making specific claims about the legitimacy of that rule. This print is part of a book, so we need to ask, what is the function of this book and of the image within it? Is it a work of history, or of propaganda? Who was the intended audience, and what ideas about imperial power were circulating at the time? To answer these questions, the art historian might turn to archival sources, books, letters, and pamphlets, in order to understand the print's historical and cultural context. The meaning of art is never fixed, but always contingent on the circumstances of its making and reception.