Portret van Filips II 1588 - 1590

This undated portrait of Philip II was made by an anonymous artist using engraving. It's important to think about the politics of imagery during the 16th Century when considering a portrait like this. Philip II was King of Spain at a time when the Dutch Republic was fighting for independence from Spanish rule. This image attempts to present Philip as a powerful and legitimate ruler by listing all his territories around the circumference. The institutions of monarchy and the church were closely linked during Philip’s reign as can be seen by his title 'REX CATHOLICVS'. At a time when political power was often legitimized through religious authority, portraits like this served to reinforce the divine right of kings. Historians use a range of primary sources, such as letters and state papers, to analyze the social conditions that shaped artistic production in the 16th century. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.