Portret van Maximilian Kurtz von Senftenau 1658

This is Pieter de Jode the Younger's portrait of Maximilian Kurtz von Senftenau, created sometime between 1606 and 1674. In it we see the conventions of power and status in the art of the period. Born into a family of engravers in Antwerp, in the Spanish Netherlands, Jode's prints were purchased by collectors, and served a documentary function, preserving the likenesses of prominent figures like von Senftenau for posterity. The accoutrements of heraldry and nobility surround the figure of von Senftenau, who is framed by an elaborate cartouche. The work reminds us that portraits were not simply neutral records but served to reinforce social hierarchies. Such images were critical to the maintenance of aristocratic power. Looking more deeply into the print collections of institutions like the Rijksmuseum allows us to explore the visual culture of the 17th century and to understand the social and political functions of art in that era.