Portret van Anna Amalia, prinses van Pruisen 1743 - 1775

This is a print of Anna Amalia, princess of Prussia, made by Gustav Andreas Wolfgang, sometime after her birth in 1723. This small portrait gives us insight into the public role of royal imagery. Prints like these were important visual tools in the 18th century. Wolfgang's image participates in the early modern culture of absolutism, where the royal image was carefully crafted and disseminated. The portrait presents Anna Amalia as a member of a powerful dynasty, with a distinctive style of dress and hair to mark her as an elite figure. Prussia was an emerging power in the 18th century, and images of the royal family played a key role in establishing their legitimacy. To understand this image better, we might consider the institutional history of the Prussian court, the role of women in royal families, and the broader visual culture of the period. The portrait reminds us that all art is contingent on its social and institutional context.