Portret van Galba, Romeins keizer 1665 - 1693

Andries Vaillant created this print of Galba, a Roman Emperor, sometime in the late 17th century. The print revives the image of a Roman leader for a Dutch audience. The choice to depict Galba offers insight into Dutch society at that time. The Dutch Republic, established after a long revolt against Spanish rule, often looked to classical antiquity for models of republican virtue and governance. Galba, though an emperor, might have been seen as a figure of stability and order, qualities that the Dutch Republic valued in its leadership. This image, therefore, functions as a kind of mirror, reflecting the values and aspirations of Dutch society back to itself through the lens of Roman history. To fully understand this image, one might consult histories of the Dutch Republic, studies of its art market, and biographies of its leading figures. By understanding the social and institutional contexts, we can come to a fuller sense of its meanings.