Portret van Frederik I van Pruisen 1690 - 1713

Pieter Schenk created this portrait of Frederik I van Pruisen, sometime around the late 17th or early 18th century, using etching techniques. The portrait offers us a window into the construction of power and identity during the Baroque period. The elaborate wig, the fine lace, and the regal bearing all speak to the performance of status and authority. Frederik's identity as a ruler is intricately linked to these visual cues, which were carefully crafted to project an image of power. Consider how gender and class intersect here; such displays of finery were not merely personal choices but statements of belonging to a privileged elite. It invites us to reflect on the ways in which appearances have historically been used to reinforce social hierarchies. What does it mean to perform power, and who has access to that performance?