Group of Courtiers Led by Single Rider Separated from Ranks c. 17th century

Editor: This is Pieter Nolpe's "Group of Courtiers Led by Single Rider Separated from Ranks." It's a print, and the composition strikes me as quite hierarchical. What do you see in this depiction of power and privilege? Curator: It's fascinating, isn't it? Consider the single rider's separation. Who is being excluded? Is this about maintaining control and distance from the masses, literally visualized through spatial arrangement? What unspoken rules are at play here? Editor: So, it's not just a portrait of nobles, but a commentary on social stratification? Curator: Precisely! It's a window into the 17th-century power dynamics, the carefully constructed image of authority. We can see how class and status are performed through attire, bearing, and even the way the horses are posed. Editor: I see that now. Thanks for helping me look deeper.