Portrait of Jan van Leiden, a Dutchman and leader of the Münster Anabaptists 1615

Editor: This is "Portrait of Jan van Leiden," a 1615 engraving by Jan Muller, currently at the Met. There's something slightly unsettling about this image...almost like a meticulously crafted character study, don't you think? What story do you feel it tells, gazing at this imposing figure? Curator: Unsettling is a brilliant way to put it. You see, Jan van Leiden wasn't exactly known for his sunny disposition. He was a rather infamous Anabaptist leader during a turbulent time, which the artist captures by almost presenting him as if we are trying to understand this ‘King’ as he seized power. Do you notice how carefully Muller details the objects around him – his clothing, that strange scroll... the sheer accumulation of symbols trying to tell the other half of the story of this deeply influential and disruptive ‘King?’ Editor: That scroll really stands out – "DEI" written on it. Almost like a justification for his actions? And his clothing… very opulent, which seems at odds with his religious convictions, if I’m reading correctly? Curator: Exactly. This gets at a profound tension, doesn’t it? Was he truly driven by faith, or by a thirst for power and the decadence power allows for? It's the question the artist subtly teases us with. But let’s face it, who among us hasn't wrestled with the seductive whispers of influence? He wields not one but TWO staff! Are there some hidden meanings in the texts? Editor: Wow, I hadn't considered the personal element, or the deeper context. Looking at it again, it seems less about history and more about the universal struggle within all of us. It looks as if Muller is winking at me – do you see it as I do? Curator: I love that – 'the wink'! Yes, a clever visual summation for this kind of man in charge, the kind history has unfortunately repeated ever since! Always those complex layers aren't there! We are constantly having to discern what we want to accept, change or question to better create a new society as an influencer!