Portret van Floris III van Holland 1757

Jean Jacques Flipart created this print, "Portret van Floris III van Holland," sometime in the 18th century. Images of rulers played an important role in shaping public perception, conveying power, legitimacy, and national identity. Consider the context in which Flipart created this work. The Dutch Republic was a major center of printmaking, and prints served various purposes, from disseminating news to celebrating historical figures. How does this image contribute to a sense of Dutch identity and historical consciousness? The lion rampant in the coat of arms is a typical heraldic symbol of the region. What can historians learn from tracing its use through time? By studying such prints, we can gain insight into the visual culture and social values of the time, including the way institutions were built and operated and the way that artists contributed to the construction of political power. The museum's records are a good place to start, and can be supplemented by study of the artist's other works and the historical literature of the day.