Queen Sophia 

Anders Zorn painted this oil portrait of Queen Sophia of Sweden in 1909. Zorn was a popular society painter, and portraiture served as a way for artists to become economically successful. Portraits of royalty reflect not only the status of the sitter, but also the cultural values of a nation. Here, Zorn presents the Queen in a relaxed pose, but her stiff white dress and head covering remind us of her status as a dignitary. Though Sweden was a constitutional monarchy at the time, portraits like this one served to reinforce the power and authority of the royal family. The painting now hangs in the Swedish National Portrait Gallery, an institution dedicated to documenting Swedish history through portraiture. Understanding the social and institutional context is crucial in interpreting art like this, and we can learn much more through researching the artist, sitter, and historical setting.