Portret van George I van Engeland 1714

This is Bernard Picart's portrait of George I of England, made sometime around the early 18th century. As we consider this image, it's important to remember that portraits of monarchs weren’t just about capturing a likeness. They were tools used to project power, legitimacy, and specific cultural values. Looking at George, framed in an oval with Latin inscriptions, we see symbols of British royalty - crown, scepter and coat of arms. This wasn't just a depiction of a man; it was a carefully constructed representation of a ruler during a time of significant social and political change. Portraits like these reinforced the status quo, but they also reveal the anxieties of a changing world. How does one visually represent authority in an era of shifting power dynamics? Picart’s George I embodies the weight of expectation and the performance required to maintain an image of unwavering authority.