Portret van Willem I, prins van Oranje 1890 - 1930

This is a portrait of Willem I, Prince of Orange, made by Vinkenbos & Dewald using photography. The image presents a figure who was a key leader in the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule. As such, images of Willem became central to the Netherlands's struggle for independence. But this is not a painting. It's a photograph, and that tells us something about the cultural work this image is doing. Consider the development of photography in the 19th century, its rise as a democratizing force allowing the proliferation and distribution of images on an unprecedented scale, and its use by institutions such as museums to disseminate images of culturally significant figures. To understand it better, we might examine the archives of the Rijksmuseum, and the cultural history of the Netherlands. This image reminds us that art's meaning is always tied to its social and institutional context.