Portret van Cornelius Henricus à Roy 1794 - 1828

Ludwig Gottlieb Portman made this print of Cornelius Henricus à Roy using etching and engraving. The portrait is a window into the world of Dutch elites in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Looking at the visual codes, we see a man of obvious status. The trappings of wealth and power are visible in his clothing and demeanor. Think of the historical context: the Netherlands was then a society marked by a strong merchant class and a complex system of social stratification. Portraits like this were often commissioned by the elite to project an image of authority and stability. To understand this work better, we might research the sitter's social and political roles, the artist's biography, and the institutions of art that supported the production and circulation of images. We consider the social conditions that shaped artistic production and reception. The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context.