Portrait of Elisabeth of Bourbon, Queen of Spain 1632

This is Paulus Pontius’s print of Elisabeth of Bourbon, Queen of Spain, an engraving on paper made in the 17th century. It’s interesting to consider this portrait within the context of early modern European court culture. These images, endlessly reproduced, were crucial to constructing and maintaining the image of monarchy, both at home and abroad. Note the queen’s elaborate dress and jewelry, visual cues of wealth, status, and power. Spain, at this time, was a major colonial power, extracting vast wealth from the Americas. Elisabeth of Bourbon, as queen, was expected to project an image of piety and strength. But also fertility, as the royal family was dependent on an heir to continue its reign. A look into surviving letters from her court and the writings of the period reveal a complex picture that doesn’t always match these formal portrayals. Historians use sources like these alongside portraits to get closer to the social and institutional dynamics of the past.