Portret van Willem VIII, landgraaf van Hessen-Kassel, in wapenrusting, naar rechts, in ovaal 1753

Aert Schouman created this portrait of Willem VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel in armor using pen, gray ink, and gray wash. Schouman was active during a time when the Dutch Republic was transitioning from its Golden Age. Portraits like this one were more than mere likenesses; they were carefully constructed statements of power and status. Willem's armor, for instance, speaks to a martial identity, a deliberate choice during a period of shifting European alliances and conflicts. The artifice of the wig, the stern gaze, and the oval frame, serve to distance Willem from the everyday. However, this portrait also captures a moment of personal presentation, in which Willem can be seen as choosing to project an image that aligns with his own sense of self and the role he wished to play on the European stage. It's a balancing act between personal identity and the demands of leadership.