Christina Ewartina, Polonorum Regina, Saxon : Duc : et Elect: &c. [Christina Ewartina, Queen of Poland, Duchess and Elector of Saxony]

Augsburg: Published by Martin Engelbrecht, 1745. Engraving with thick early colour with gold highlights. Printed on laid paper. In excellent condition with the exception of some minor foxing in the margins. Image size: 10 1/8 x 7 1/8 inches. An imposing portrait with stunning early colour of the Queen of Poland, Christina Ewartina, by the celebrated Augsburg engraver Martin Engelbrecht.

Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth's biography is a remarkable tale of a woman who defied the conventions of her time in 17th and 18th century Europe. As the Electress of Saxony from 1694 to 1727 and Queen Consort of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, she stood out by never once setting foot in Poland during her entire thirty-year Queenship, choosing a self-imposed exile in Saxony instead. Her steadfast refusal to convert to Catholicism, despite her husband and son's conversion, earned her the title "Saxony's pillar of prayer" from her Protestant subjects. Her marriage to Augustus II the Strong was political and deeply unhappy, marked by his infidelity and her unwavering Protestant faith. In the face of her husband's efforts to persuade her to convert and join him in Poland, she resolutely maintained her faith, even as he was crowned King without her. Christiane Eberhardine lived separated from her spouse in her own courts, where she pursued cultural activities, education, and economic ventures. She symbolized Protestant faith and protection against Catholicism in Saxony, portraying a powerful image of a woman who stood her ground amidst a challenging era. Joseph Friedrich Leopold was an Augsburg engraver, who made this print of the popular Queen of Saxony while she was still alive (as he pre-deceased her). The handsome Queen sits before an open view of snowcapped mountains. On a table beside her is, perhaps, the crown of Poland she put aside in favor of her faith.