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In the first instance Sight comprises the archducal residences and art collections which were intended to make the life of the Prince as pleasant as possible. These were also concrete evidence that the princes were Apollos, patrons of the arts and sciences. |
| Through art and science, and
particularly through atlases and maps, astrolabes, panoramas, and so forth, they
furthermore brought the world into their household. Finally, they attached importance not
only to how they saw, or wanted to see, the world, but also to how the world, and more
particularly their subjects in the Southern Netherlands, saw them. For this reason
‘image building’ is treated in this section with an extensive set of portraits.
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| Important state portraits are Rubens’ Portrait of Albert with Tervuren in the background (copy) and his Portrait of Isabella with Mariemont in the background (copy) (both in Madrid, Prado). |
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The art collection as a mirror of the world and a representation to the world is demonstrated by, among other pieces, Jan Brueghel’s The Palace of Isabella in Brussels (Madrid, Prado, 1453), Bartholomäus Spranger’s Hercules, Deianeira and the dead centaur (Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum), J. Heintz’ Cupid and Psyche (Augsburg, Städtische Kunstsammlungen), Hendrik de Clerck’s The banquet of Acheloös (Madrid, Prado), Master with St Andrew’s Cross, Covered coconut goblet on stand (Brussels, KMKG), Abraham van den Hecken’s Drinking goblet (Brussels, KMKG), Michael Coignet’s, Planispheric astrolabe (Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe), Michael–Florent van Langren’s Plenilunii Lumina Austriaca Philippica (Leiden, Universiteitsbiblio-theek), Jacobus de Succa’s Sundial (Antwerp, Rubenshuis), etc.
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