Portret van burggraaf Grandison William Villiers van Limerick 1716

This is Pieter van Gunst’s engraving of William Villiers, Viscount Grandison, rendered with traditional portraiture techniques. William Villiers’s attire speaks to a specific construction of masculinity and class, embedded within the complex social and political dynamics of the 17th and 18th centuries. Consider the lace details, the velvet cloak, and the carefully styled hair; these elements weren't merely aesthetic choices. They were markers of status, wealth, and power, reflecting the rigid social hierarchies of the time. What does it mean to perform wealth and class? It’s a fascinating performance of identity which has roots in cultural norms, but extends into the deeply personal. How do these visual cues invite or deny access to the world depicted here? What narratives do they perpetuate or challenge? This portrait is a testament to identity, both in terms of self-perception and social projection.