Alfons IV, koning van Portugal berispt door een raadsheer 1785

Reinier Vinkeles created this print, 'Alfons IV, koning van Portugal berispt door een raadsheer,' using etching. The tight composition, dominated by the tension between the king and the councillor, draws us into the heart of the scene. Note how Vinkeles uses contrasting light and shadow to intensify the drama. The councillor, cloaked in darkness, gestures emphatically towards the king, who is caught in a moment of illuminated vulnerability. This contrast isn’t just aesthetic; it's a semiotic device, positioning the councillor as a figure of authority and the king as exposed. The surrounding figures, rendered with nuanced detail, react, creating a chorus of expressions that amplify the central conflict. Vinkeles disrupts traditional power dynamics, visually challenging the notion of inherent authority. The formal structure of the etching, with its calculated contrasts and carefully orchestrated figures, serves to destabilize our understanding of power. It prompts us to question fixed meanings and consider the shifting dynamics of authority and representation.