Portret van Amalia van Oldenburg, koningin van Griekenland 1852 - 1869

Curator: This striking work is a portrait of Amalia van Oldenburg, Queen of Greece. It's attributed to J.L. Lacoste, created sometime between 1852 and 1869, and rendered beautifully with colored pencil. Editor: It has such a dreamlike quality. Her gaze, those sheer fabrics... and is that a mountain backdrop? It’s quite romantic, a touch melancholy, perhaps. Curator: Yes, Lacoste captures her with a sense of almost theatrical grace. Look closely at the fabric—the rendering is extraordinarily detailed. It brings forth the textiles themselves, so indicative of royal luxury but also of production across many hands. Those furs... Editor: Those rich jewel tones speak to the iconography of royalty as well: the crimson and gold evoke power and wealth. The architectural elements behind her, a column, and balcony seem calculated to present Amalia as a woman in command of her world. Curator: Indeed. The way the artist uses colored pencils to achieve those intricate patterns, it bridges fine art and decorative craft. I wonder about the labour involved in creating the portrait itself. Editor: But consider the image she projects! That sheer veil acts like a halo. She is being consciously constructed for us as a symbolic figure, a queen who can inspire feelings of patriotism or…obedience? Curator: Absolutely, obedience may be its purpose, the material of the image can make the symbols stick better. Perhaps commissioned, disseminated widely... Consider how access shaped reception. Editor: So we come face to face with Amalia and an array of signs and textures; symbols that may seem fixed but are open to changing views across history, filtered through time. Curator: A fantastic layering of interpretations comes through when you delve into the processes, politics, and raw resources behind a seemingly straightforward royal portrait. Editor: Ultimately, what moves us is that glimpse into a complex royal history of 19th century, preserved and enhanced by the potent power of the image.