Law Enforcement or Living Heraldry? Assessing the Armorial Function(s) of Heralds in the Long Seventeenth Century (Spanish Monarchy and Archducal Netherlands) (Steven Thiry)

My main interest centres on the political use and appropriation of heraldic symbolism. Although the link between heralds and the armorial field is highly problematic for the middle ages, it is my conviction that the shape shifting figure of the early modern herald can be approached through broader contemporary attitudes about the visual representation of authority and order. Seen from this angle, I would like to formulate some preliminary hypotheses and possible avenues for further research. ..