Portret van Maurits, prins van Oranje c. 1579 - 1615

This engraving of Maurits, Prince of Orange, was created by Dominicus Custos, an artist active in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. During this period, the Dutch Republic was asserting its independence from Spanish rule, and Maurits played a crucial role as a military leader. Custos’s portrait presents Maurits not just as an individual, but as an embodiment of Dutch identity and power. His gaze is direct, his armor gleaming, all signs of leadership. In the context of the time, such images served to solidify the prince's image and the Dutch Republic as a whole. Yet, beyond the pomp, we might also ask what it meant to be a leader during a period of intense social and political upheaval. How did the weight of responsibility, the constant negotiations between war and peace, shape Maurits's identity? Images like this are not just records; they are active participants in shaping the narratives of their time. This portrait invites us to consider the emotional and personal dimensions of power, and the complex interplay between individual identity and collective history.