Portret van Johan IV, hertog van Bragança 1628 - 1670

Curator: What a find. Here we have "Portret van Johan IV, hertog van Bragança," a work that likely dates between 1628 and 1670. This baroque engraving is attributed to Pieter de (II) Jode and resides here at the Rijksmuseum. It really captures a specific moment in time, doesn’t it? Editor: My first thought? Dignified melancholy. All those intricate lines etched onto the paper somehow converge into a single point: the Duke’s somewhat world-weary eyes. You can almost hear a sigh escaping him. Curator: Yes, the piece speaks to larger power dynamics at play during the 17th century. Portugal was under Spanish rule for quite some time, and Johan IV eventually spearheaded the revolution, becoming the King of Portugal in 1640. Think about the weight of expectation, the battle for autonomy, and the positioning of the monarchy amid colonial tensions. All that gets distilled into his pose, into that slightly… defiant gaze. Editor: He looks like he's barely tolerating court life. And what's that baton he’s holding? Is it some kind of symbol of… what, dominance? And I can't quite tell… does his cross indicate religious conviction or political opportunism? Or both, probably both! Curator: It’s intriguing how dress codes throughout history served the function of communicating social position. Note how Jode captured Johan’s layered garb and accessories as performative signifiers, carefully chosen for their visual impact and political ramifications. But those fashion choices weren't immune to debate. The court itself served as both a stage and a battleground for social hierarchies, rife with challenges and tensions, and subject to strict moral codes. Editor: Right? Layers upon layers of rules and meanings… like the art itself. Baroque engravings usually feel overwhelming. Here the detailing feels less ornamental and more... revealing. It humanizes this Johan dude. Curator: Precisely. And in deconstructing visual art, we simultaneously unveil cultural, political, and social forces at work. To consider this print beyond its face value lets us address issues that reverberate today. Editor: What you see isn’t always what you get. Gotta look beneath those lines and smudges, huh? A king under pressure, immortalized with a teeny tiny, slightly tortured, expression. It kind of cracks the whole monarch facade. Thanks, Pieter!