Portret van koning Hendrik IV van Frankrijk 1592 - 1667

This is an engraving of King Henry IV of France, made by an anonymous artist. Though undated, the inscription tells us that Henry is 49, which means it was likely made around 1602. This image is not just a likeness; it's carefully designed to project power. The oval frame and Latin inscription give it a classical gravitas, aligning Henry with the tradition of Roman emperors. Note the armor, a visual code signifying military strength, essential for a king who had to fight for his throne. France in the late 16th century was rocked by religious wars between Catholics and Protestants. Henry, originally a Protestant himself, famously converted to Catholicism to secure his rule, declaring "Paris is worth a mass." Images like these were part of a larger project to rebuild a stable and unified France under the Bourbon monarchy, and were made available to the wider public via the popular medium of printmaking. To understand this image better, historians would consult state archives, religious pamphlets, and other prints circulating at the time, all in order to reveal the complex social and political forces that shaped its creation and reception.