Wilhelmina van Pruisen 1848 - 1881

A. Bouwens created this print of Wilhelmina van Pruisen, now held at the Rijksmuseum, using a combination of line engraving and stipple engraving, enhanced with color. The composition arranges Wilhelmina on horseback within a decorative frame, immediately drawing our attention to the interplay between the central figure and the ornamental structure that surrounds her. Bouwens uses color sparsely, with blues, yellows, and purples highlighting key areas, drawing our eye across the composition. Note how these colors define the contours of the horse and rider, while the stippled engraving adds texture and depth. The semiotic structure here works through codes of representation and status, the horse, Wilhelmina’s attire, and the decorative frame all speak to the sitter's elevated position in society. What’s interesting is that Bouwens destabilizes fixed meanings through the print’s graphic style, which straddles the line between representation and abstraction. This tension underscores the complex negotiations of identity and representation within the cultural and political spheres of the time.