Portret van Eleonora van Toledo c. 1647 - 1696

Adriaen Haelwegh created this portrait of Eleonora of Toledo using etching and engraving techniques. Haelwegh made this print in the second half of the 17th century, almost a hundred years after Eleonora’s death. Eleonora was the Duchess of Florence, and she was a striking figure of the Italian Renaissance. Her portrait reflects the power and status that she acquired through her marriage to Cosimo I de' Medici. Her dress, jewelry, and even her posture, signal wealth, and the ability to purchase luxury and display it. While the original painting of Eleonora and her son Giovanni is a very tender depiction of motherhood, Haelwegh's depiction focuses on status, on lineage, and on the power of the Medici family. In a patriarchal society, women were often reduced to their roles as wives and mothers, and were defined by their relationships to men. But Eleonora was a political advisor to her husband, and when he was away she ruled in his stead. This portrait of Eleonora reflects not only her personal identity but also the social and political role that she played in Florentine society, while also reinforcing traditional representations of women and power.