Portrait of Agnes Margaretha Albinus, Wife of Coenraad van Heemskerck 1750

Editor: Here we have Mattheus Verheyden's 1750 oil on canvas, "Portrait of Agnes Margaretha Albinus, Wife of Coenraad van Heemskerck." There's a dreamlike quality to the portrait. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on it. What do you see in this piece beyond a typical Rococo portrait? Curator: It's easy to see this as a conventional portrait, but look at it through the lens of power and gender in the 18th century. Agnes Margaretha Albinus isn't just depicted as a pretty face; she is a landowner, the wife of an important public figure, the subtleties in the symbolism such as her flower holding signals a woman in control. Editor: A landowner? The flowers, the dress - could that also symbolize other traditional expectations, though, even while she's in control? Curator: Exactly. Rococo portraits like this served to reinforce the sitter's social standing but also reflected and constructed her identity. The cultivated garden setting, the flowers, even the soft colour palette, reinforce this constructed reality and wealth status of landowners that was inaccessible for other demographics at this time. The woman as the beautiful flower and fruit bearer; this also reflected colonial ties. Editor: It’s fascinating to consider that such an apparently innocuous image could be so loaded. Curator: Right. Also, it is key to also note the limited freedoms women faced, making wealth the only gateway to a less socially and financially restrictive life, albeit while needing to reinforce the system which entrapped so many. Do you agree? Editor: I agree! Viewing this through an intersectional lens opens up a lot more insights. It becomes more complex, and I can see how just describing the art in face value would be limiting and maybe also misleading.