Kong Frederik V og Dronning Louise under salvingshøjtidelighed i Frederiksborg Slotskirke. Illustration og Vignet til Frederik d. IV's salvingsakt 1749

Odvardt Helmoldt de Lode created this illustration and vignette for Frederik d. IV's salvingsakt. This print depicts the coronation ceremony of King Frederik V and Queen Louise in Frederiksborg Castle Church. Made in Denmark during the 18th century, it is a fascinating example of how art served to legitimize the monarchy and reinforce social hierarchies. Coronations were significant public spectacles, carefully orchestrated to project power, divine right, and continuity. The visual codes within this image, such as the architectural grandeur, the assembly of nobles, and the symbolic gestures, all contribute to constructing an image of royal authority. Institutions such as the church and the royal court played central roles in shaping the event and its representation. This print, therefore, offers a window into the social and political dynamics of the period. To understand such an image fully, we can draw on historical records, personal accounts, and studies of court culture. Art history reminds us that art's meaning is always contingent on its social and institutional context.