Portret van Maximiliaan Antoon van der Noot 1710 - 1784

This is an engraving of Maximiliaan Antonius van der Noot de Carloo, XV Bishop of Ghent by Frans Pilsen, made in the 18th century. The portrait presents its subject in an oval frame, complete with Latin inscriptions and an armorial crest. The engraving reproduces and disseminates an image of religious authority. In the Catholic Southern Netherlands of this period, such images reinforced established hierarchies. Pilsen's print would have circulated within a network of religious institutions, noble families, and print collectors. Studying the image and inscriptions gives insight into the complex world of the 18th century. We can learn about the religious context of the work through archival records of the Diocese of Ghent, genealogical information about the van der Noot family, and collections of prints like this one which show the tastes of the time. Art history uses these resources to illuminate the public role of images.