Portret van koning Alfons II van Portugal after 1621

This engraving of King Afonso II of Portugal was created by Cornelis Galle I in the early 17th century. The print, with its Latin inscription, offers a fascinating window into the visual culture of European royalty and the institutions that shaped their image. Galle, working in Antwerp, likely produced this portrait for a publication aimed at celebrating or documenting European monarchs. The print's visual codes – the crown, the elaborate cloak, and the regal bearing – all reinforce Afonso's authority. But it's worth asking, who was the intended audience? Was it meant for circulation within Portugal, or for a broader European network of nobles and scholars? By studying such images, along with related texts and documents, we can gain a deeper understanding of how power was constructed and disseminated in early modern Europe. The role of the historian is to look beyond the surface, uncovering the complex social and political forces that gave shape to these enduring images.