Portret van Marie, prinses van Pruisen 1827

G.W. Lehmann created this portrait of Marie, Princess of Prussia as an engraving. Take note of the roses woven into her elaborate hairstyle. Since antiquity, roses have been laden with meaning. They represent love, beauty, and even secrecy, a symbol seen across cultures from ancient Greece to the Renaissance. Yet, the arrangement here is no casual adornment. It evokes the garlands of classical antiquity, echoing images of deities and heroines. Consider Botticelli's Venus, surrounded by roses, or the Roman tradition of *rosalia*, decorating tombs with roses to symbolize rebirth. Here, the roses speak to a desire for immortality, a visual claim to enduring beauty and grace. The gesture of her arm across her body can be seen in other portraits throughout time, such as Leonardo's Mona Lisa or Raphael's Portrait of Agnolo Doni. This is no accident. These motifs echo and evolve, engaging our collective memory and subconscious associations, shaping the narratives we tell ourselves through art.