Penning met het portret van Ferdinand Karel III en de namen van de hertogen van Mantua 1685 - 1708

Curator: Here we have a striking, if diminutive, example of Baroque portraiture. This piece, titled "Penning met het portret van Ferdinand Karel III en de namen van de hertogen van Mantua," was created sometime between 1685 and 1708. It's an engraving, likely intended as a commemorative medal or print. Editor: Wow, the detail crammed into that tiny circle is astounding! It's like looking at a historical family tree shrunk down and framed around that rather stern-looking fellow. Almost feels a bit claustrophobic, doesn't it? Curator: The "claustrophobia" you're sensing, I think, arises from the convergence of purposes typical of Baroque art: decoration and documentation. The piece serves to present Ferdinand Karl III but also place him in the grand lineage of the Dukes of Mantua. These circular charts, these mini family trees, visually reinforce his legitimacy, a vital concern for rulers of the time. Editor: Legitimacy and power… expressed in a ring of tiny names! It’s a very cerebral power play, right? Also, the almost obsessive detailing in the Duke’s wig – look at all those tiny curls. Was it trying to compensate something else that lacks curls maybe? Curator: The wig is very much a statement, visually situating him within a specific cultural moment of power and influence! Editor: So much personality can come out through it as well. Almost making him like… kind of a rock star! A Baroque rock star with serious lineage issues. Curator: Rock star or not, engravings like these circulated images and narratives of rulers among a wider public. The Baroque aimed to impress and persuade. Editor: It definitely made an impression, but perhaps a chuckle along the way too. So detailed, it’s funny to find power through just curls and lists! But still, fascinating to think about how visual media has long played politics.