Portrait of Archduchess Isabella Clara Eugenia, Spanish Regent of the Low Countries, as a Nun 1620 - 1705

This anonymous etching, dating from 1620 to 1705, depicts Archduchess Isabella Clara Eugenia, the Spanish Regent of the Low Countries, dressed as a nun. The portrait, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, shows the Archduchess in a somber and contemplative pose, her face framed by a simple veil and her hands clasped in prayer. The inscription below identifies her as "Serenissima Princeps Isabella Clara Eugenia Infans Hispaniarum," emphasizing her royal lineage and the importance of her role as a ruler. This print, a significant piece of 17th-century portraiture, offers a glimpse into the life of a powerful woman who dedicated herself to religious devotion during a turbulent period of European history.