Anna of Austria, queen of France, mother of king Louis XIV 1625

This is a portrait of Anna of Austria, painted by Peter Paul Rubens, who lived between 1577 and 1640. Rubens used oil paints to depict Anna in all her royal finery. But look closer, beyond just the face. It's also a depiction of the immense labor and resources required to produce this level of regal display. Consider the dress: the deep blue velvet, likely imported, embroidered with golden fleur-de-lis. The intricate lace collar, each loop and point painstakingly made by hand. And of course, the jewels – pearls, diamonds, all wrenched from the earth or sea, then cut and polished. Rubens has rendered these textiles and gems with astonishing verisimilitude, but he also makes the viewer aware of their cost, not just in money, but in human effort. In this way, a portrait becomes more than just an image of a queen; it's a document of a whole economic system, one where the value of materials and making are inextricably linked to power.