Fotoreproductie van (vermoedelijk) een prent van Henri IV, koning van Frankrijk c. 1863 - 1880

This is Étienne Neurdein’s photographic reproduction of a print of Henri IV, King of France. Neurdein was active in the second half of the 19th century, when photography was being used both to document and to disseminate images of power. Henri IV, who lived from 1553 to 1610, navigated a France deeply divided by religious conflict. Ascending the throne as a Protestant, he famously converted to Catholicism, declaring that "Paris is worth a mass." This pragmatic decision underscores the complex relationship between personal belief and political necessity. Neurdein's photograph captures the visual language of power - the ornate ruff, the royal sash - which all speak to the construction of royal identity. The use of photography to reproduce and circulate this image speaks to the democratization of the image, and the desire to fix and replicate symbols of power. It serves not just as a portrait but as an artifact of cultural and political negotiation.