Portret van Frederik, prins der Nederlanden 1823 - 1900

This print, whose maker and date are unknown, presents a portrait of Frederik, Prince of the Netherlands, framed by masonic symbols and text. Its purpose appears to be celebratory and devotional, and it gives us insight into the social and cultural world of Dutch freemasonry. Look closely and you’ll see the key symbols of freemasonry – the compass, the square, and the all-seeing eye – all visual codes for enlightenment values, and the pursuit of knowledge. We know that Prince Frederik was an active and influential member of the Dutch freemasonry. It was a movement associated with enlightenment ideals, and an emerging middle class that embraced philanthropy and civic responsibility. In the Netherlands, freemasonry also served as a social space for networking and the development of social capital. As historians, we consult archival records of masonic lodges, biographies, and publications of the time, to understand the social and intellectual world that gave rise to images like this. It reminds us that art always exists within a specific social and institutional context.