True Crime Cast - Macht und Gewalt im Portrait

In the organizer's words:

At a time when powerful people are increasingly questioning the social order itself, we look back: murder, manslaughter and warlike attacks are just a few of the deeds committed by the protagonists of our graphic exhibition; from today's perspective, it is a true crime cast. But in their time, many of the people depicted were officially respected, some even revered, and these precious, sometimes gilded portraits were dedicated to their reputation. They show the protagonists in opulent robes, sometimes presented as shimmering golden 'saints'. This raises important questions: What was considered a crime in the Renaissance and Baroque periods? Were there laws that restricted the arbitrariness of the powerful? How do we assess the (mis)deeds of emperors, popes and other great players of the past today?

A LOOK BEHIND THE FACADE

The Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum's collection of illuminated and gilded portraits, which is virtually unique in terms of quality, is examined in this exhibition to find out what lies behind them. Who is hidden behind the glowing façade of these artistically outstanding Renaissance and Baroque prints? Around 30 portraits, once owned by the Amsterdam lawyer Laurens van Hem (1621-1678), show famous aristocrats, rulers, artists and clergymen who made history - not only with pen and brush, but often with blood and intrigue.

THE CAST: SHIMMERING, GUILTY, SHOCKING

Arbitrariness, the bending of the law, abuse of power and crime - abysses of self-interest and ruthlessness, hidden beneath the shiny foil of power - this is the theme of the exhibition. Although a system of justice began to take shape in the early modern period, right and wrong were often at the discretion of the rulers. Louis XIV, known as the "Sun King", for example, was regarded as the epitome of the absolutist ruler, whose reign marked a heyday of art, but was also marked by numerous wars thanks to his foreign policy. Cosimo I de'Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, enacted questionable laws to confiscate the assets of convicts. Pope Pius V was a reformer of the church who also took brutal measures against dissenters. These and other dazzling personalities lose their historical luster as soon as the motives and effects of their deeds are illuminated...