Frederick the Great
1781,1786
Frederick the Great, the enlightened monarch of Prussia, is captured here in his later years, sporting his signature powdered wig and the gleaming star of the Order of the Black Eagle on his simple military coat. Anton Graff, one of the most sought-after portraitists of the 18th century, painted this iconic image around 1781, deliberately stripping away royal pomp to show the king as a humble servant of the state. This unpretentious look became the definitive image of Frederick, endlessly reproduced and cementing his legacy as a philosopher-king who preferred the company of flutes and dogs to courtly extravagance.
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