Portret van Anna van Hannover 1734 - 1774

Edward Rooker engraved this portrait of Anna van Hannover. She is framed within an oval, a symbol often associated with eggs representing birth and renewal, thereby linking the sitter to notions of fertility and succession. The oval shape, embraced by the fabric and stone, finds echoes in the Renaissance, like Botticelli's "Birth of Venus," where Venus emerges from a shell, also suggestive of birth and divinity. This motif is ancient and powerful. Even older, in the Egyptian creation myths, the world is born from an egg. This recurring symbol engages our collective memory, hinting at the eternal cycles of life and legacy. This oval carries within it layers of cultural memory, subtly shaping how we perceive Anna's image across time.