Elisabeth Christine 1740

Antoine Pesne painted this portrait of Elisabeth Christine, a woman bound by societal expectations and royal duty, sometime in the 18th century. As a queen consort of Prussia, Elisabeth inhabited a world of arranged marriages and political alliances where her personal desires were often secondary to the needs of the state. Through Pesne’s brush we see her adorned in the trappings of royalty – the elaborate gown, the regal mantle, and the powdered wig. Yet, there’s also a sense of vulnerability in her gaze, a hint of the emotional complexities that lie beneath the surface of her royal facade. What did it mean to be a woman, and a queen, in a world that demanded both power and submission? Elisabeth’s story invites us to reflect on the constraints and expectations placed upon women in positions of power, and how they navigated the intersections of identity, duty, and desire.