Jan de Witt 

This is Lambert Visscher's print of Jan de Witt, made sometime in the second half of the 17th century. De Witt was the grand pensionary of Holland, the leading politician of the Dutch Republic, and this print offers insight into the politics of imagery. The setting is the Binnenhof, the seat of the States General, in The Hague, Netherlands. De Witt leans casually on the room's wooden railing, holding a pair of gloves. What does the artist suggest about De Witt’s relationship to the institution? What kind of values and sensibilities does the picture promote? Is it trying to elevate him, and if so, how? To answer such questions requires research into the history of the Dutch Republic and the political role of the grand pensionary. The historian uses such resources to understand the work as embedded in its social and institutional contexts.