Maria Clementina Sobieska voor een altaar 1737

Miguel de Sorelló created this print of Maria Clementina Sobieska, probably in the early 18th century. It depicts Maria, the wife of James Francis Edward Stuart, a claimant to the British throne, kneeling in prayer before an altar. This image encapsulates the intersection of politics, gender, and religious devotion of the time. Maria Clementina was caught between her role as a devout Catholic and a political pawn in the Jacobite cause. By portraying her deep piety, the artist is not just showing us Maria Clementina’s personal devotion, but also subtly reinforcing the legitimacy of her husband’s claim to the throne, rooted as it was in divine right. The inclusion of angelic figures bearing the Stuart coat of arms suggests a divine endorsement of their royal aspirations. The print invites us to consider how women of noble birth navigated the complex interplay between their personal identities and the political expectations placed upon them. We can almost feel her sense of duty, faith, and perhaps, a yearning for a throne that was never to be.