Portret van Catharina Cornaro 1759 - 1819

Editor: Here we have Christian Gottfried Schultze’s "Portret van Catharina Cornaro," an engraving from between 1759 and 1819. It’s striking how this formal portrait also seems so… reserved. What's your interpretation of this work, especially considering its historical context? Curator: It's a fascinating portrayal, isn't it? Looking at it through a historical lens, the image speaks to the politics of representation. Catharina Cornaro was, after all, the last Queen of Cyprus, and her image became a symbol of Venetian power and later, its decline. The very act of creating and circulating her portrait – as an engraving accessible to a wider audience – played a crucial role in constructing her public image, or really, Venice’s image. Do you think the print medium changes how we perceive her power, or lack thereof? Editor: That’s really interesting. I hadn’t thought about how the medium itself contributes to that narrative. It does feel like an attempt to control or perhaps memorialize a specific version of history. Curator: Precisely! The institutional framing of art shapes the reception of a person. Cornaro became more myth than a woman, controlled by political imagery long after her life. Schultze wasn’s simply capturing a likeness; he was perpetuating – or maybe subtly critiquing - an established historical narrative through visual culture. Consider how later depictions of her differed, influenced by changing political winds and social values. Editor: It's sobering to consider the subject's perspective; if it feels staged and artificial to us, how did she perceive this at the time? That makes this artwork more complex. Thanks for helping me to understand those elements of the portrait! Curator: Indeed. Analyzing visual imagery gives the agency back to the woman! Thanks to our conversation, this image and history will be viewed through different lenses now.