Portret van Willem V, prins van Oranje-Nassau, als kind 1755

Curator: Pieter Frederik de la Croix painted this watercolor portrait of Willem V, Prince of Orange-Nassau, in 1755. Editor: My first thought is, "that child is overdressed!" It’s such an elaborate costume for someone so young. I wonder about the expectations placed upon him. Curator: Indeed. This isn't just childhood innocence, but a carefully constructed image. Consider the Rococo style evident in the delicate brushwork, the ornamental detailing of his attire. The craftsmanship serves the purpose of displaying power. Editor: Absolutely, and that power is inextricably linked to the Prince's social status. Look at the inclusion of the weaponry in the background. De la Croix subtly hints at the role Willem is born into: a military leader, defender of the state. What’s compelling is to think of the labor involved to make a luxury object depicting power for someone who has no power, yet, but promises power for future. Curator: That’s interesting to think of. Also the watercolour materials themselves: How were they sourced, by whom, and what were their origins? These materials traveled to construct this image and meaning in the hand of De la Croix. It invites consideration of not only the artist, but of the complex systems necessary to produce this art. Editor: It's an intriguing question. Watercolors often get dismissed, seen as light or decorative, but here it is the tool for carefully crafting not just an image of royalty, but the brand and expectations attached to that position. Is it a historical record or soft propaganda? Curator: I agree completely, but the fact that its watercolor, to me, reminds the beholder how easy it would be for a child to tear up the work with relative ease, even accidentally, to destroy and revert any and all social class signifiers back to rags and just raw, deconstructed materials again. Editor: The image encapsulates themes that still resonate: expectations placed on children of privilege and what their responsibility is to social power structures. Even the delicate watercolors hint at how those promises can break. Curator: That’s definitely changed my understanding of the artwork. I was focused on the materials themselves, but seeing this with consideration to social issues it raises new questions about who had the time to pose and spend resources creating and then documenting an image in watercolor of a child, Prince or otherwise. Editor: Exactly, it is a conversation worth having, one that allows for new discussions about this prince's story and what it tells us of the stories from that time period forward to now.