Portret van de generaal Giovanni de' Medici 1600 - 1604

This is Dominicus Custos's portrait of General Giovanni de' Medici, an engraving from around 1600. The composition is strikingly oval, framing the General in a tight, almost claustrophobic space that contrasts with the grandeur one might expect from a military figure. The ruff collar, a riot of meticulously rendered folds, serves as a visual barrier, distancing the subject despite his direct gaze. Custos's attention to texture is evident in the armor, where light catches the metal, creating an illusion of depth and weight. The inscription that encircles the portrait flattens the pictorial space, turning the image into a symbolic object, a signifier of power and lineage rather than a window onto an individual. The engraving technique, with its precise lines and controlled gradations of tone, reinforces this sense of order and containment, typical of the way early modern art codified social and political identities. It’s a reminder that even in portraiture, form is never neutral; it actively shapes our perception and understanding.