Engraving of the 5th Duke of Bragança, Dom Teodósio
Author: Carolus Leoni
Origin: France
Dating: 18th century
Material: Copper Sheet & Paper
Dimensions (cm): 35 x 61
Inv. no.: PD1190
Dom Teodósio (? – 1563)
Upon the death of his father – Jaime – he succeeded to the dukedom in 1532 and on December 9, 1540, he was appointed fronteiro-mor of the provinces of Minho and Trás-os-Montes.
He was granted a bull from Pope Pius IV authorizing him to found – in the convent of Santo Agostinho in Vila Viçosa – a university with the same privileges as the University of Coimbra, but it was never established.
Joaquim Serrão tells us that «Teodósio had agents in Europe who sent him reports of main events, which he collected in volumes, calling them “Os Livros de Muitas Cousas” [The Books of Many Things].»
This engraving depicts him in a three-quarter-length pose, facing to the right, in armor, with his left hand on a table and his right hand on his hip. Behind him, one may see a helmet with plumes. At the bottom, the coat of arms of the Hereditary Prince of Portugal is displayed.
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.
