Dr. Marcus Burke will be presenting the portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares by Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez, a portrait of the de facto prime minister of Spain during the 30 years war, and Richelieu's great antagonist. The portrait is rich in allusions to political power, legal structures (both governmental and financial -- as in the idea of income taxes), and personal history. It pulls a wide net of associations, including several that are surprisingly contemporary today.
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