Engraving of the 2nd Duke of Bragança, Dom Fernando
Author: Carolus Leoni
Origin: France
Dating: 18th century
Material: Copper Sheet & Paper
Dimensions (cm): 35 x 61
Inv. no.: PD1187
Dom Fernando (1403-1478)
According to Joaquim Serrão «[h]e was the wealthiest lord in Portugal, with no other household matching his in patrimony and income, thanks to the favors he received from King Afonso V. He relished great authority during that reign, being entrusted with the regency in 1471, when the monarch went to North Africa to conquer Asilah and Tangier».
He was the son of Afonso – 1st Duke of Bragança – and of Brites Pereira – daughter of the Constable Nuno Álvares Pereira. He died in Vila Viçosa on April 1st, 1478, where he lies buried in the Dukes’ Pantheon.
He married Joana de Castro – daughter of the Viceroy of India João de Castro – on December 28th, 1429.
This engraving depicts him in half-figure, with armour and a helmet. In his left hand he holds a sword and in his right a shield. At the bottom of the engraving, one may see the coat of arms of the House of Braganza, surmounted by a helmet with a crown and a horse’s head.
In the past, engravings were inseparable from books. They were the only process that could be repeated in written works. It was one of the most effective global vessels for a visual knowledge of the world and of its protagonists. It was only with the development of photography that engravings began to be relegated to the realm of oblivion, but they continue to be an indispensable source of knowledge from the past.
