Snuffbox with portrait of Frederick the Great (1712–1786), King of Prussia 1745 - 1755

This Snuffbox, adorned with a portrait of Frederick the Great, was crafted by Daniel Baudesson. It is embellished with scenes of leisure and mythology: cherubic figures and representations of Leda and the Swan, symbols of beauty, power, and divine intervention. Note how the Leda motif, seen here as a scene of idyllic beauty, echoes through art history, from ancient Greek pottery to Renaissance paintings, each time refracting cultural attitudes toward desire and fate. In antiquity, it was a tale of Zeus's seduction, but here, it evolves into a symbol of royal patronage and cultivated taste. Such imagery acts as a cultural memory, connecting us to the desires and anxieties of the past. These symbols resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.