Portret van keizer Maximiliaan I 1610 - 1699

This is Lukas Schnitzer's rendering of Emperor Maximilian I, etched meticulously in the 17th century. Note the orb and scepter, emblems of dominion, yet it's the fleur-de-lis adorning his crown that arrests my attention. This ancient symbol, signifying French royalty and, more profoundly, purity and enlightenment, transcends mere heraldry. Its presence evokes a lineage stretching back to antiquity. Consider its echo in medieval depictions of the Virgin Mary, where the lily symbolizes her immaculate conception. Here, it crowns Maximilian, insinuating a divine right to rule. The fleur-de-lis surfaces across time, adapted and repurposed. From royal banners to religious iconography, its enduring presence underscores our collective yearning for order and legitimacy. It stirs deep-seated emotions and the subconscious; power, divinity, and the very essence of cultural memory, always in flux, forever resonant.