Summary
Based on a corpus of iconographic and textual portraits of Christina of Sweden (1626–1689), this thesis analyses the ambivalence of gender and sex in her life, as well as the visual and intellectual construction of her androgyny and its resurgence in the image perpetuated by posterity.
This research highlights the relationships between gender, sexuality and art, which were closely linked in the queen’s life but had not previously been studied comprehensively over the long term.
The first part lays the foundations for the analysis through a biography of Christina of Sweden, followed by an examination of her relationship with her body, her gender, her femininity and women. The second part focuses on representations of the queen and how she adhered – either fully or selectively – to these constructs, which she used to legitimize her reign and sovereignty. The third part focuses more specifically on the non-iconographic resources she used to assert her uniqueness. It highlights the various strategies she employed to “perform” her status as queen: through her clothing, the writing of her memoirs, and the way she occupied the spaces she inhabited, particularly in Rome. Finally, the fourth and final part examines the legacy of Christina of Sweden, analysing the discourse surrounding her sexuality and how it has been perceived, interpreted and exploited from the 17th century to the present day.
Keywords :
Christina of Sweden (1626-1689) ; Art History ; Baroque ; Gender studies ; Queer studies ; Early
Modern Period.