Portret van prinses Joanna van Portugal 1621

This engraving is Cornelis Galle I’s ‘Portret van prinses Joanna van Portugal’. Galle made this print to immortalize Joanna, the daughter of King Afonso V of Portugal, who lived from 1452 to 1490. Joanna defied expectations for women of her time, choosing a life of religious devotion over marriage and political alliances. This portrait is compelling, capturing Joanna's resolute spirit and quiet strength. She looks directly out, inviting us to consider her choices and the world she inhabited. Her garb is that of royalty, but there is also something modest about her gaze. Joanna's decision to reject marriage offers a fascinating insight into the agency some women, particularly those of noble birth, could exercise. What does it mean to choose spirituality over worldly power? Galle’s print preserves Joanna’s memory and presents us with the complex negotiation of power, gender, and personal conviction. The portrait invites us to reflect on the lives of women who defied expectations and forged their own paths.