Henrietta Maria en Minerva 1639

Wenceslaus Hollar created this engraving, "Henrietta Maria en Minerva," during a time of significant political and religious tension in England. The print depicts Henrietta Maria, the French Catholic queen consort of Charles I of England, alongside Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare. The choice to portray Henrietta Maria with Minerva carries a potent message. In a society grappling with religious conflict and the looming English Civil War, this juxtaposition presents the queen as a figure of strength and reason, perhaps even divine protection. We might ask, was Hollar making a statement on the controversies of the time? Was he commissioned to portray Henrietta Maria in this favorable light? Careful archival research into the history of printmaking and the patronage system in 17th-century England can shed light on the social forces at play in the production and reception of this image.