Portret van Benedictus Arias Montanus 1682

Edme de Boulonois made this print of Benedictus Arias Montanus using etching. Portraits such as this one served a crucial social function in their day. They visually solidified the sitter’s status and reputation within a specific community of scholars, religious figures, or political leaders. Montanus was a Spanish orientalist and editor of the Plantin Polyglot Bible in Antwerp. The symbols of his status are all here: his sober but refined garments and the Latin inscription. But this image is interesting, because Boulonois made it as a print. Prints like this one circulated widely and cheaply, and their effect on public opinion could be enormous. They played a vital role in shaping collective perceptions of important figures. To understand this image better, we would want to study the history of the Plantin Polyglot Bible and the biography of Montanus. By examining the image within its institutional and social context, we can better understand the public role of art.