Retrato de D. João VI 

Domingos Sequeira painted this portrait of Dom João VI, King of Portugal, sometime in the early 19th century. In it, we see the King adorned in finery – symbols of power and status. But consider what this image leaves out. Portugal, a nation with a vast colonial empire, was in a state of upheaval due to the Napoleonic Wars. In 1807, the Portuguese royal family fled to Brazil, effectively moving the center of the empire to South America, an unprecedented moment in the history of European colonialism. This image, a product of its time, can be seen as a work of propaganda, presenting an image of power and stability amid turmoil and change. To fully understand this artwork, we would need to delve into the archives, examining letters, diplomatic records, and other historical documents to understand better the political and social context in which it was created. Art, after all, doesn't exist in a vacuum; it is a product of its time and the forces that shape it.