Portret van Christiaan IV 1627

This is Jacob van der Heyden's 1627 engraving of Christian IV, King of Denmark and Norway. As a print, it reflects the growing importance of visual media in early modern Europe and the new possibilities for disseminating images of power. Note the oval frame of text surrounding the portrait, listing the many territories under Christian's rule. These details were important, as rulers like Christian used portraits to project an image of authority and legitimacy, crucial in an era of shifting alliances and power struggles. Visual codes of dress, bearing, and accoutrements served to cement Christian's status. The proliferation of such imagery reminds us that 'seeing is believing' in the social and cultural life of the 17th century. To fully understand this image, we can turn to sources like period correspondence and state records, alongside studies of Northern European court culture, tracing the networks of artists and patrons that sustained this visual language of power. The meaning of art is always contingent on its context.