Portret van Anna van Hannover 1734 - 1744

This is Wouter Jongman's portrait of Anna van Hannover, an engraving made sometime before the artist's death in 1753. Jongman situates Anna within the rigid social structures of the Dutch Golden Age, an era marked by both economic prosperity and strict class divisions. Anna's identity as a woman of noble lineage is meticulously crafted. The oval frame and heraldic symbols speak to her elevated position in society. While the poem beneath the portrait praises her beauty and virtue, we can consider how such representations often served to reinforce the power and status of the elite. The inscription highlights her lineage to the House of Orange-Nassau; it implies that her purpose is to further the dynastic ambitions of her family. Anna becomes a symbol of continuity and legitimacy, her individual identity subsumed by the expectations of her class and gender. The portrait becomes less about the individual and more about the projection of power and authority.