Portret van Rudolf I van Habsburg (Duits keizer) after 1644

Pieter van Sompel created this print of Rudolf I of Habsburg in the 17th century. This portrait provides insight into the construction of power and identity during this period. The image presents Rudolf I, adorned with royal regalia, framed by symbolic motifs of cherubs and heraldic crests. Rudolf’s confident gaze seems intended to project authority. Yet the very act of creating and circulating such images was deeply embedded in political and social dynamics. Consider how gender and class intersect here. Rudolf is presented as a powerful, masculine figure, reinforcing traditional hierarchies. But what about the artisans who produced this print? Their labor, often unacknowledged, was essential to disseminating these images and upholding the established order. These prints helped shape perceptions of leadership and governance, negotiating the complex interplay between representation and reality. How does this image speak to our understanding of power today?