Portret van Willem III, prins van Oranje 1904

This portrait of Willem III was made by Verlagsanstalt Fr. Bruckmann A.-G. Just looking at this portrait, I can imagine what it might have been like to create, sitting opposite the sitter, contemplating how best to capture his presence on canvas. I can imagine the artist carefully mixing colors, and applying layer upon layer of paint to build up the textures of the armor. It looks like the paint is quite thin, allowing the details of the subject to come through. I keep returning to the way that the portrait captures the likeness of the prince and the folds of the fabric, each brushstroke contributing to the overall effect. It reminds me of other portraits from the period, artists were in an ongoing conversation, each building upon the ideas of those who came before. It’s a form of embodied expression which embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations and meanings.