Queen Christina of Sweden (1626 – 1689)
1650
David Beck portrays Queen Christina of Sweden not just as a ruler, but as a scholar of the world, catching her glance over her shoulder as she pauses by a globe. Her dress is a masterpiece of Baroque excess—a shimmering, silvery-pink satin that looks heavy and luxurious, contrasting with the delicate flowers in her hair. This was a woman who would eventually abdicate her throne just four years later to pursue art and philosophy in Rome, and here she holds the tools of that intellect: a letter and the world at her fingertips.
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