Portret van Amalia van Solms 1620 - 1699

This is an engraving of Amalia van Solms, made in the Dutch Republic at an unknown date by an anonymous artist. As the wife of stadtholder Frederick Henry, Amalia was a central figure in the court of The Hague, and portraits like this one helped to consolidate the cultural authority of the House of Orange-Nassau. As the OCR reveals, the inscription below the image details Amalia's noble titles, emphasizing her dynastic status. But these images are never neutral; prints were a new, popular medium, and portraits like this served to broadcast an image of the Dutch Republic as a sophisticated and powerful state. The visual codes – the pearls, the lace – speak to the sitter's wealth and status, but also to Dutch mercantile power. Art historians research the symbolism of costume and the circulation of imagery to better understand the messages these portraits were meant to convey. This helps us consider the politics of imagery and the public role of art in the making of cultural identity.