Portret van Janus Secundus 1787 - 1818

This is Joachim Jan Oortman junior’s, ‘Portret van Janus Secundus’ made in the late 18th or early 19th century. It is an engraving of the humanist poet Janus Secundus, who lived in the early 16th century. Oortman, who came from a family of artists, lived during a time of political upheaval, experiencing both the rise and fall of the Batavian Republic under French influence. His portrait of Secundus connects to a broader cultural interest in the ideas and values of the Renaissance. The portrait invites us to consider the construction of historical memory and cultural identity. Secundus is framed by symbols of classical learning. The laurel wreath above his head implies a celebration of intellectual achievement, while the books and writing implements beneath the portrait symbolize Secundus’s literary pursuits. Representations like this one, were part of a project to align contemporary identities with historical figures. In this construction, the artist uses visual rhetoric to ennoble and connect with the past.