David Beck in Sweden; Donating portraits as a diplomatic tool; the role of the portrait painter David Beck as an accidental agent of Christina of Sweden in the first half of the 17th century.

In the 17th century, Sweden and the Dutch Republic maintained a strong trade alliance, which was partly due to the activities of Dutch entrepreneur Louis de Geer (1587-1652). De Geer had earned a fortune from the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) by manufacturing cannons at an unprecedented scale for King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden (1594-1632). Furthermore, Gustav’s daughter, Queen Christina Maria Alexandra (1626-1689), maintained a good relationship with De Geer. Christina was ambitious at an early age and acquired an extensive collection of books, manuscripts, objects and works of art. In order to reach this goal, Christina engaged various Dutch painters, scientists and agents, who were often art dealers with a large network. Michel Le Blon suggested the young and talented David Beck (1621-1656), who was a student of the well-known Anthony van Dyck (15991641). From 1647 until Beck’s death in 1656, Queen Christina of Sweden engaged the Dutch portrait painter. During this period, Beck...Show moreIn the 17th century, Sweden and the Dutch Republic maintained a strong trade alliance, which was partly due to the activities of Dutch entrepreneur Louis de Geer (1587-1652). De Geer had earned a fortune from the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) by manufacturing cannons at an unprecedented scale for King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden (1594-1632). Furthermore, Gustav’s daughter, Queen Christina Maria Alexandra (1626-1689), maintained a good relationship with De Geer. Christina was ambitious at an early age and acquired an extensive collection of books, manuscripts, objects and works of art. In order to reach this goal, Christina engaged various Dutch painters, scientists and agents, who were often art dealers with a large network. Michel Le Blon suggested the young and talented David Beck (1621-1656), who was a student of the well-known Anthony van Dyck (15991641). From 1647 until Beck’s death in 1656, Queen Christina of Sweden engaged the Dutch portrait painter. During this period, Beck painted portraits of various Swedish diplomats such as Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna (1583-1654) and portraits of Christina herself. As a political strategy, Christina assigned Beck to distribute and donate a specific portrait of herself to European sovereigns. Theretofore, Beck travelled throughout Europe and visited Gutter, Amsterdam, Rome and Paris. The activities of Beck give the impression that he was involved in diplomatic strategies, and if so, could one say that the portrait painter was an agent? For example, what messages are embodied in the portraits that Beck painted of Christina? Is it to say that his paintings were used as a diplomatic weapon? Was Beck himself a diplomatic asset, and were Beck’s artistic activities closely connected to the task to propagate the image of Christina of Sweden? Is it trustworthy to say that he adapted well to the diplomatic world since many sovereigns loved his courtesy and attitudeShow less

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David Beck in Sweden; Donating portraits as a diplomatic tool; the role of the portrait painter David Beck as an accidental agent of Christina of Sweden in the first half of the 17th century.