What You Can Now Read

A royal portrait was never just a likeness. It was an argument built from objects:

• The visual code — dogs, lilies, and skulls carried fixed meanings everyone knew
• Royal symbols — ermine, jewels, and scepters made claims about character and dynasty
• Placement — the right hand, foreground, and background each changed an object's meaning
• Flowers — a wilting rose or broken tulip slipped in a warning about vanity
• Divine cues — a glow or saintly pose claimed the crown came from God

Next time you see an old painting, ask not what is in it, but what it is arguing.