Portret van Karel VII 1755 - 1765

This is Sébastien Pinssio’s ‘Portret van Karel VII,’ a small engraving on paper. Pinssio was active in the mid-18th century, a period marked by the Enlightenment’s focus on reason and order, yet still clinging to representations of power and authority. This portrait, encased in an oval frame, presents Charles VII, a 15th-century French monarch. What does it mean to revisit and re-present a figure of absolute power during a time of burgeoning revolutionary thought? The King is depicted in profile wearing a crown. This perspective emphasizes the immutable nature of his authority, a silent but potent declaration of dynastic legitimacy. Note how the print is not just an image but a statement. The choice of portraying Charles VII, a king who ruled centuries prior, suggests a longing for historical continuity amidst the changing social and political landscape of 18th-century France. It invites us to consider how representations of power evolve, adapt, and persist through different eras.