Portret van Johanna Gertraud Marschall 1699 - 1709

Johann Christoph Boecklin created this print of Johanna Gertraud Marschall sometime between 1699 and 1709. The print captures Marschall, framed within an oval, surrounded by ornate decorations and text. Prints like this one often served to immortalize the sitter’s image, but also to communicate something about their status and identity to a wider audience. Marschall, a noblewoman born in Leipzig in 1673, is presented here as an object of admiration, celebrated for her beauty and virtue. We see this in the inscription at the bottom of the print, which praises her beauty, her heroic spirit, and her noble status. It's fascinating to consider how women of the European aristocracy navigated the expectations of their time. Marschall’s presentation is undoubtedly idealized, yet it offers a glimpse into the values and aspirations of women in the 17th century. This print leaves us to consider the complexities of identity, representation, and social status within historical portraiture.