Portret van Frederik Willem van Brandenburg 1640 - 1676

This is Frederik Bouttats the Elder’s portrait of Frederick William of Brandenburg, etched sometime in the 17th century. It’s hard to look at this image without considering how identity is constructed and conveyed through portraiture. Frederick William is meticulously presented to embody power and authority. Bouttats captures the weight of leadership and the expectation of embodying a strong ruler. During this period in Europe, class status dictated the circumstances of one's life, leaving little room for social mobility. Here, Frederick William is adorned with symbols of wealth and aristocracy like the fur trim and elaborate coat of arms, intended to reinforce the idea of an inherited right to rule. What feelings might this portrait evoke in those who were governed by Frederick William? Does it inspire confidence, or does it create a sense of distance and otherness? This image is a potent reminder of the ways in which identity and power were inextricably linked in the past, and how these dynamics continue to shape our present.