Fotoreproductie van een geschilderd portret van Willem III, koning van Nederland before 1880

This is a photo reproduction in the Rijksmuseum of a painted portrait of Willem III, King of the Netherlands. The portrait presents a study in contrasts. The right-hand page features a framed portrait, an oval disrupting the book’s rectangular form. This shape softens the king's stern visage, encased in a decorative vegetal frame. Note how the monochrome palette focuses our attention on the king's face, creating a direct visual engagement. In contrast, the left-hand page is deliberately vacant save for faded text, offering a ghostly echo of the king's presence. This layout isn't merely decorative. It challenges our perception of royal representation. The king is presented within nature, suggesting a modern reading of royal authority that seeks to naturalize power. This tension between the portrait's formal rigidity and the softening effect of its natural frame destabilizes conventional symbols of power.