Portret van Frederikke Amalia van Zweden 1704 - 1731

This is Pieter van Gunst’s portrait of Frederikke Amalia of Sweden, an engraving. Van Gunst was working in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, a period defined by strict social hierarchies and the consolidation of power within royal families. Frederikke Amalia, bedecked in royal finery, stands as a representation of dynastic power, but her individual experience as a woman within this structure is less visible. What might it have meant to be a woman whose identity was so closely tied to family and lineage, where personal choice was often secondary to political strategy? The symbols of status are plentiful, from the crown to the ermine trim, yet it is the subject's gaze that captures our attention. It invites reflection on the constraints and expectations placed upon women of her station. This is where we contemplate the tension between her public role and private self.