Dronning Juliane Marie 1753

Jonas Haas created this print of Dronning Juliane Marie, Denmark’s Queen, during a time when royal portraiture served as a powerful tool for shaping public perception and legitimizing power. Haas's engraving situates Juliane Marie within a very specific visual and political language. As a woman in a position of power, her image navigates the complex intersections of gender and authority. The softness of her features, juxtaposed with the symbols of royal authority, reflects the era's expectations of women, even those in powerful roles. Think of the queen’s gaze looking directly at us. This work asks us to consider the narratives we construct around leadership, and the ways in which gender and power are negotiated. What does it mean to portray a woman as a symbol of national identity and strength? And how does that portrayal intersect with the personal experiences of the individual?