Portret van Karel IV 1755 - 1765

Sébastien Pinssio created this portrait of Karel IV using etching techniques. The portrait presents the King in profile, an aesthetic that evokes earlier Roman imperial portraits. Pinssio was working during a time of significant social change. Enlightenment ideals challenged long-standing social hierarchies which were being questioned and destabilized. As such, images of power shifted from glorification towards something else. Pinssio had to negotiate how to portray power and authority during the changing times. What do you think of the way he approached the challenge? The portrait is striking in its simplicity. With clean lines and minimal ornamentation, Pinssio strips away layers of complexity to focus on the individual. In doing so, Pinssio seems to be inviting us to see the man beneath the crown. He encourages us to contemplate the weight of leadership and the personal attributes required to wield such influence. The image emphasizes both the personal and the political and how intertwined these concepts are.