Portret van Engelbrecht II, graaf van Nassau-Dillenburg-Breda 1933

This is a portrait of Engelbrecht II, Count of Nassau, and it's a work without a known maker, held here in the Rijksmuseum. The image creates meaning through visual codes. The inclusion of the falcon signals nobility, falconry being an aristocratic pastime. The sober dress suggests a man of serious intent. Made in the Netherlands, perhaps in the late 15th or early 16th century, the portrait coincides with the rise of the Burgundian Netherlands, a period when the region's economy and artistic patronage flourished under the Dukes of Burgundy. This portrait is a window into that world. To fully understand this work, we need to explore the patronage networks of the time, consulting archival records and genealogical studies to understand Engelbrecht's place in the social hierarchy. The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context.