Portrait of Caroline Mathilde, ca. 1767

This portrait of Caroline Mathilde is from around 1767, and is therefore one of the earliest portraits we have of her. The picture depicts the young queen about a year after she married the Danish king, Christian VII. It therefore portrays her before she began her famous affair with the king’s personal physician JF Struensee.

The painting is attributed to the Danish artist Peder Als (1727-1776) who was one of the artists who paved the way for neoclassicism in Danish portraiture. He also painted other royal portraits, not just of Caroline Mathilde, but of the king and the crown prince.

The queen is portrayed here with her hair powdered white, and adorned with lace which falls over her right shoulder. She wears an aqua blue dress adorned with lace along the neckline, and bows on the chest and arms. She has adorned her ears and neck with white stones in the form of earrings and an aqua blue necklace. On the left of the queen is a bouquet of white flowers with a light blue bow.