Portret van keizer Rudolf II

Dominicus Custos made this engraving, titled 'Portret van keizer Rudolf II,' sometime around 1594. Here, the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II is presented as an august, all-powerful ruler through the visual codes of wealth and status. The image, made in the Netherlands, tells us something about the cultural dynamics of the time. Rudolf II was Holy Roman Emperor during a period of intense religious and political conflict. The location in which this image was made is important. The Netherlands was, at the time, in the midst of its revolt against the Spanish Empire and its Habsburg rulers. Rudolf II, as Holy Roman Emperor, was a key player in these conflicts. The inscription "SEMP. AVGUSTUS. RUDOLPHUS II. ROMANORUM IMPERATOR" leaves little room for interpretation. To understand the complex visual rhetoric of power in the 16th century, scholars might consult emblem books and conduct historical research into the political and religious conflicts of the period. It is through this kind of research that we can better appreciate the image's cultural and institutional context.