Portret van Maria II Stuart 1688 - 1724

Jacob Gole created this print of Maria Stuart, Princess of Orange, sometime between 1660 and 1737. It’s an image that speaks to the complex intersections of gender, power, and identity in the Dutch Golden Age. Maria, adorned in pearls and lace, embodies the era's expectations of royal femininity. Her gaze, while seemingly demure, hints at the political maneuvering that defined her life. As a Stuart, her lineage was her destiny, and later in life she became Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, alongside her husband, William the Third. Gole's print is an artifact of a society grappling with its own identity. The Dutch Republic, a rising power, often used portraiture to project power and prestige. This image is part of that visual language, subtly negotiating the complexities of Dutch and British relations. It invites us to consider the personal and political forces shaping the lives and legacies of powerful women.