Een koning presenteert zijn zoon, linkerdeel 1665 - 1725

Arnold van Westerhout created this print, Een koning presenteert zijn zoon, sometime between 1666 and 1725. We see a king presenting his son to what seems to be his royal court. Van Westerhout was working in Italy, and his depiction here of ancient kings and their courts reflects the cultural interests of the Roman elite at that time. Italy was divided into many small aristocratic states, and these elites looked to the Ancient Roman Empire as a historical parallel. The visual codes used here – classical architecture, royal dress, the motif of the royal court – are all designed to make connections between the present day and a glorious past. The institutions of art, such as the Roman Academy, promoted this kind of work, which flattered the patrons who commissioned it. To better understand this artwork, we need to know more about the history of Rome in the 17th century and the artists working there. By consulting historical sources, we can interpret the social meaning of this image.