Portret van Anna van Hannover 1734 - 1756

Editor: This is "Portret van Anna van Hannover" by John (II) Faber, an engraving from between 1734 and 1756. The detail is striking. There's almost a formality and a rigidness to the image, despite the lace and flowing robes. What is your reading of this portrait? Curator: This engraving really encapsulates the function of portraiture within 18th-century society, particularly concerning the public role of women in dynastic power. The portrait, likely commissioned or circulated for political purposes, reinforces Anna's status and role. Note how her hand rests proprietarily on the crown. The historical context is everything here. This is less about capturing a likeness, and more about manufacturing a visual representation of power. Consider how this image would function: who was its intended audience, and what message were they meant to receive? Editor: So it’s less about *her* and more about the message *she* is meant to convey? Curator: Precisely. Think about how visual imagery solidified ideas about lineage, authority, and even national identity. In this era, engravings such as these played a crucial role in constructing and disseminating specific narratives. Her finery, her composure, even the drapery – it all coalesces to project an image of established power and legitimacy. How do you think it does that? Editor: I see that all the little details—the fabric, the way the crown is placed beside her, and even her hair, seem deliberate. There’s so much intention behind every element. I’d not really thought about how actively these portraits work to cement a particular view. Curator: Exactly! Next time you look at a historical portrait, consider it not just as a window into the past, but as a carefully constructed political statement. Editor: I will. That’s a completely new way for me to approach this sort of piece.