Portret van Willem II 1683 - 1783

This small portrait of Willem II was made in the Netherlands by an anonymous artist, probably in the mid-17th century. Willem II was the Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, and this image participates in the visual construction of power through portraiture. Note the trappings of status in the armour and draped curtain in the background, likely intended to convey strength and authority. It is interesting to consider the social function of images like this in a mercantile society like the 17th-century Dutch Republic, where the court competed with the power of wealthy merchants. How might images of the Dutch royal family have circulated and shaped public opinion? To understand this image better, research into the history of the Dutch royal family and the visual culture of the Dutch Golden Age would be invaluable. The meaning of this artwork is always contingent on a rich understanding of its social and institutional context.