Portret van Marie van Pruisen 1825 - 1868

Carl Mayer produced this print of Marie of Prussia, Crown Princess of Bavaria. It exists as a multiple, meaning it was relatively accessible. What does this tell us about the role of art, and portraiture in particular, in the 19th century? The print’s visual codes reveal a great deal about the Princess’s status. Consider the dress, hairstyle, and jewelry. Even the mere fact of having one’s portrait made speaks to a certain level of social status. But this image doesn't only represent wealth and status, it actively performs it. It was made in a period defined by the rise of nationalism in Europe. Noble families were very concerned with maintaining a sense of tradition and power, especially through strategically marrying their children and commissioning portraits. Studying sources such as family trees and historical accounts of the Bavarian royal family can help us better understand this print’s social and institutional context. Art is contingent on its historical context, and the historian's role is to reveal it.