Portret van Karel III van Croÿ, hertog van Aarschot 1640

This is an engraving of Charles Philip de Croÿ, Duke of Aarschot, made in the Netherlands at an unknown date by an anonymous artist. The Duke is framed by an oval of text that announces his name, titles, and governance over Flanders and Henegouwen, now Hainaut in Belgium. The image is laden with the visual codes and cultural references to nobility in the 16th and 17th centuries. De Croÿ’s elaborate ruffled collar and ornately decorated armor mark him as a person of extraordinary wealth and status. The use of Latin in the inscription, as well as the careful detail given to his likeness, underscore the institutional power held by the subject. The fact that the artist is unknown is an interesting detail. It tells us that the image was more about the status of its aristocratic subject than the creative genius of the maker. Understanding an image like this requires us to know the history of noble families such as the De Croÿ's as well as the visual language of class, power, and politics in the early modern period.