Portret van Lodewijk XII, koning van Frankrijk 1642 - 1678

This engraving by Nicolas de Larmessin portrays Louis XII, King of France. The king is depicted in profile, adorned with a crown and royal garments, symbols of his authority. The most intriguing symbol, perhaps, is the turbaned head, which appears on his shoulder, a motif that carries echoes of ancient Roman depictions of conquered provinces. The turban is not merely an exotic detail; it signifies power dynamics between Europe and the Ottoman Empire. This symbol harkens back to earlier Renaissance art, where similar motifs were used to denote conquered territories. Such imagery has a history—a symbolic life of its own. Over time, these symbols evolve, and in each iteration, we see a negotiation between cultural memory, political power, and the ever-changing landscape of the collective consciousness. The turban becomes a complex signifier, a testament to the cyclical nature of history and the subconscious forces that shape our understanding of power.