Frederik I of Prussia 

This portrait of Frederik I of Prussia was painted by Antoine Pesne using oil paint on canvas. Consider the weight of that ermine robe, or the fine detail of the embroidery on his jacket – all painstakingly rendered in oil paint. There is a sense of the many hours of skilled labor involved. This was clearly a very expensive picture, made possible by the wealth accumulated through extractive economies. The preciousness of the fabrics and jewels, depicted with such care by Pesne, mirrors the king’s own investment in craft production. In his reign, Prussia established manufactories for luxury goods, including textiles and porcelain. This painting, therefore, is not just a representation of the king, but also of the kingdom that he was building, brick by brick, and stitch by stitch. Looking closely at how this artwork was made – the skilled labor, the precious materials – we are reminded of the broader economic system that it both reflects and supports.