Portret van Maria Francisca Nemours 1681

Nicolas de Larmessin I created this portrait print of Maria Francisca of Savoy sometime between her marriage to the King of Portugal in 1666 and the artist’s death in 1694. It's interesting to consider this image in the context of 17th-century European court culture, particularly regarding the political function of portraiture. In that time, portraits were crucial tools for establishing and reinforcing social hierarchies. Visual codes such as dress, posture, and setting all contributed to constructing and broadcasting an image of power. This portrait broadcasts the status of Maria Francisca through the trappings of royalty, but also through the institutional apparatus of the print market. Prints like this one were bought and sold. They shaped public perceptions, and they helped to solidify the sitter's position in the social order. Historians use a wide range of resources – from court records to fashion studies to market reports – to understand how artworks like this one functioned within their original social and institutional contexts. These resources help us better understand the meaning of art as something contingent on its historical moment.