Portret van Willem III, koning der Nederlanden 1849 - 1899

This is an undated portrait of Willem III, King of the Netherlands, created by an anonymous artist. Willem is adorned with elaborate military regalia; medals, tassels and crosses, visual testaments to power, status, and authority. Such symbols are not unique to this time or place. Consider the ancient Roman emperors, depicted with laurel wreaths and imperial eagles. We can trace the impulse to visually represent power through symbols across millennia. Even the cross, now a ubiquitous symbol, has origins in ancient pagan symbolism, re-appropriated and recontextualized by Christianity. Here, the collection of medals speaks to the human desire to accrue honor. They are also an engagement with psychological drives of competition and recognition. Note how these evolved through history, and in modern society, are echoed in the emblems of corporate branding and social media badges. The need to visibly signify status remains a constant thread throughout human history, doesn't it?