Portret van Karel VI, Duits keizer 1675 - 1711

This engraving at the Rijksmuseum presents a full-length portrait of Charles VI, the Holy Roman Emperor. While the artist remains anonymous, this work provides insight into the performance of imperial power and identity in the 18th century. Here, Charles VI stands in elaborate attire, complete with a flowing wig and regal robes. His posture and the composition, with a fleet of ships in the background, are meant to convey authority and dominion. Yet, we might ask, what does it mean to perform this kind of masculinity and power? How does the very staging of identity function in relation to historical realities? The ships and crown allude to a vast empire, but they also remind us of the cost of such expansion, the endless wars and colonial ambitions that marked Charles' reign. Engravings such as this not only glorified the individual, but were instruments of imperial propaganda, shaping public perception, and reinforcing power structures. The image becomes a site where personal ambition intersects with broader historical forces.