Portret van Augusta, koningin van Pruisen 1811 - 1868

Curator: I’m immediately struck by the almost photographic quality of this print, but also by its fragility. Editor: Indeed. What we're looking at is "Portrait of Augusta, Queen of Prussia," an engraving on paper made sometime between 1811 and 1868 by Carl Mayer. It’s part of the Rijksmuseum collection. Curator: Queen Augusta looks… intense. There's a severity in her gaze that feels both regal and slightly melancholic. The detail in the rendering is remarkable. Editor: It’s a product of Romanticism, where emotional intensity and an idealized vision of the world were paramount. Augusta, as Queen, had a role to play—both in life and in representation. Engravings like this circulated widely, shaping her public image and, by extension, the image of the Prussian monarchy. Curator: Do you think the engraver felt any… artistic sympathy? Or was it purely a functional, reproductive act? There's a sensitivity to the way the light falls across her face, and even the suggestion of softness in the dark curls around her face that I want to imagine being deeply felt by the artist. Editor: That's the million-dollar question with portraiture. Artists were undeniably influenced by the power dynamics at play. These portraits served very specific political functions. Curator: Absolutely. And here, knowing it’s an engraving rather than a painting shifts the context even further—makes you consider the intended distribution and audience so carefully. Editor: It reminds us that even intimate seeming images of powerful figures can be profoundly mediated. It’s a dance between genuine artistic expression, strategic promotion, and cold, hard political calculation. Curator: Beautifully put. For me, it is as if this image wants to communicate beyond the queenly portrait—whispering to us from a bygone era, about the nature of both power and personhood. Editor: Leaving us to unravel it's intertwined and powerful legacy.