Anne of Austria 1671

Robert Nanteuil made this engraving of Anne of Austria in France in 1666. Anne was Queen Consort of France as the wife of Louis XIII, and later, Regent for her son, Louis XIV. Nanteuil was a printmaker who specialized in portraiture. This image presents Anne as a figure of power and authority. Her status is asserted through the trappings of royalty: fine fabrics, an elaborate jeweled cross, and a string of pearls. The border contains fleur-de-lis, a stylized lily, that is a major symbol of the French monarchy. Anne is framed by an oval that contains the inscription: "Anne Infante of Spain, Queen, and Mother of the King." Nanteuil was granted the title of engraver to the king in 1658, and his career developed alongside the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, solidifying the institutional role of the arts in the French court. To understand this image better, we might research the history of the French monarchy in the 17th century, as well as the role of portraiture in constructing royal identity. This artwork reminds us that the meaning of art is always shaped by its historical and institutional context.