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Another Enlightenment era story of reforms, kings (King Christian VII) burdened with mental problems or were just plain unfit to rule, and the queens (Caroline Mathilde) who looked to outsiders for affection (Doctor Johann Struensee).

For the confused, I recommend reading Marie Antoinette: The Journey and Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman, for they practically tell the same tale found in A Royal Affair.  Then again, Marie’s affairs forever remain wrapped in mystery.

But enough about the plot, let’s over analyze some artwork found in the film!

To start, the film contained strategically placed paintings designed to possibly catch the viewer’s eye and comment on a scene.  One example occurs in Johann Struensee’s office, with a painting of Saint Jerome appearing behind the doctor’s desk clad only in red cloth.  As Jerome in the painting commits to his writing, Struensee in the film strives to make life easier for the Danish lower classes.

Now, seeing the painting with its dark background and Jerome dramatically lit, I assumed it came from Caravaggio.  Alas, when I looked up the artist’s two depictions of the saint, I found that both works shared a similar execution to the one I saw in the movie, but not close enough to confirm Caravaggio’s authorship.  In fact, when I scoured through this website, I would find paintings of Jerome that would fall under “Close, but no cigar”.

There were other paintings, but I had no idea where they originated, or I could not see them clearly.