Portrait of King Conrad IV - Lucas Kilian

A detailed seventeenth-century copperplate engraving by Lucas Kilian depicting the profile of King Conrad IV within an ornate cartouche.

This copperplate engraving by the German printmaker Lucas Kilian depicts Conrad IV, King of Germany and Sicily, in profile. Kilian, a member of a prominent family of engravers from Augsburg, was active during the early seventeenth century and produced numerous portraits of historical and contemporary figures. The composition follows the conventions of formal portraiture from the period, placing the subject within an oval frame that serves as a decorative cartouche.

The portrait captures the monarch in a classical profile, wearing a crown that reflects the iconography of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. The surrounding frame is adorned with heraldic elements, including two shields at the base, and is flanked by small figures. The Latin inscription 'MIHI VINDICTA' appears within the lower section of the cartouche, while the upper text identifies the subject as 'Conradus der vierdt', noting his titles and his reputation as 'der Grausam' (the Cruel). The engraving technique demonstrates the precision characteristic of Kilian's work, with fine hatching used to model the features of the face and the texture of the drapery.

Such prints were often produced for historical chronicles or genealogical collections, intended to document the lineage of European rulers. The inclusion of handwritten annotations at the bottom of the sheet suggests that this specific impression was once part of a larger collection or archive, where it was catalogued with biographical details regarding the king's death in 1254. The work provides a clear example of how seventeenth-century printmakers visualised medieval history through the lens of contemporary Baroque aesthetics, balancing formal portraiture with symbolic heraldry and typography.