Portret van Amalia van Saksen-Weimar-Eisenach 1840 - 1873

Josef Axmann’s portrait of Amalia of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was made with etching and burin. The print depicts Amalia in her finery, complete with jewels and a fur stole, visual signifiers of her status as a Duchess in the early 19th century. Born into a noble family, Amalia would have been conscious of her social position and lineage. It is interesting to consider portraiture as an institution in itself; paintings and prints were commissioned and displayed in order to represent individuals of status, often to a wider public. If we want to fully understand portraits like this, it is important to consider who they were made for, where they were displayed, and what role they played in maintaining social hierarchies. One might look into records of the Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach family, or records from portrait studios in Germany, to get a better sense of the context of its production.