Portret van Anna van Denemarken 1741 - 1743

Jacob Houbraken created this print of Anna van Denemarken with engraving in the 18th century. This formal portrait of royalty is framed by neoclassical motifs, reflecting the values of order, reason, and hierarchy that shaped European society and its institutions at the time. Houbraken was a leading printmaker in the Netherlands, a country with a booming print culture that served both commercial and political purposes. He made numerous portraits of leading figures, often based on existing paintings. The image creates meaning through visual codes of royalty, such as the elaborate dress and jewelry and the Cupid figure with a garland. These elements draw on cultural references that would have been well-understood at the time. As an art historian, my role is to research the context in which this print was made and circulated. What was the role of portraiture in constructing authority and lineage? What was the function of institutions like the Rijksmuseum in preserving such images? This artwork and its afterlife can be better understood through research into the cultural and institutional contexts that gave it meaning.