Claudia Felicitas of Austria 

This is Juan Carreno de Miranda’s portrait of Claudia Felicitas of Austria, painted around 1673. The image presents us with far more than simply a likeness. In the Habsburg empire of the late 17th century, dynastic marriage was a vital instrument of statecraft, and portraiture served as a kind of propaganda around such unions. Here, Claudia Felicitas is presented as a beautiful and virtuous bride. In this painting, her clothing, hairstyle, and jewelry immediately signify her wealth, status, and dynastic importance. Even the inscription above her head emphasizes her parentage and marriage to Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor. Her pale skin was an indicator of her noble status. The social function of court portraiture like this was to reinforce the authority and legitimacy of the ruling family. As viewers, we can look to sources like letters, diaries, and diplomatic records to understand the precise political meanings that portraits like this one were intended to convey.