Portret van Maria de' Medici, koningin van Frankrijk Possibly 1630 - 1646

This is Paulus Pontius’s engraving of Maria de' Medici, Queen of France. Look at the regal symbols. The crown behind her indicates sovereignty and divine right. But it is not on her head. Instead, she holds flowers, a symbol of fertility and renewal, echoing her role as a mother. This duality is striking. The crown, often associated with male power and lineage, sits passively behind her, while she actively holds the flowers. We see echoes of this juxtaposition in earlier depictions of female saints, who were often portrayed with both symbols of earthly power and emblems of their virtue. It is a motif that resurfaces through history, reflecting shifts in how female power is perceived and portrayed. Here, the flowers may also suggest a softer, more nurturing aspect of leadership, hinting at a deeper psychological complexity within her public image. These archetypes of female power and fertility are deeply embedded in our collective memory, shaping how we understand and interpret such images across time.