Portret van Charlotte Mecklenburg-Strelitz met haar kind Charlotte 1770 - 1777

This is a print of Charlotte Mecklenburg-Strelitz with her child Charlotte made by William Wynne Ryland, active in late 18th century England. Here we see a representation of royal femininity, motherhood, and dynasty, visually codified through the trappings of wealth and power. Queen Charlotte is shown with her child in an idealised, classical setting. Pillars and draped fabrics speak to the enduring power of the monarchy, while the Queen's fine garments speak to dynastic wealth. The engraving would have circulated among elites, reinforcing the idea of ​​a stable and virtuous royal family. To better understand an image like this, we can look at the history of printmaking and its place in the construction of social and political values. We might examine the institutions that supported artists like Ryland, or we could read contemporary accounts of the royal family. Art history reminds us that images are never neutral, but are always shaped by the social and institutional forces of their time.