Portret van Willem Lodewijk, graaf van Nassau-Dillenburg 1693 - 1733

This is Bernard Picart’s engraving of Willem Lodewijk, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg. While Picart lived from 1673 to 1733, the portrait depicts Lodewijk, who lived a century earlier. Notice how Lodewijk is depicted in armor. He was Stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe, provinces in the north of the Dutch Republic. The Dutch Republic was in its Golden Age when Lodewijk lived, a time of great economic and cultural success. His armor is meant to evoke that success. The inscription below the portrait reinforces this connection. Prints like these were often commissioned by wealthy families or political organizations to promote particular ideas. What’s being promoted here is the image of a strong leader. Historians consult a range of sources like letters, diaries, financial records, and even clothing to gain a better understanding of art’s social and institutional context. The Rijksmuseum is one of the key institutions that helps preserve and study the art of the Dutch Golden Age.