Portret van Frederik Hendrik, prins van Oranje-Nassau 1841 - 1879

Edouard Taurel created this print of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange-Nassau in the 19th century. But its visual codes refer us to an earlier time. The print presents us with a carefully constructed image of Dutch royalty. Note the oval frame, armor, lace collar, and heraldic crest – all standard elements in the visual vocabulary of noble portraiture since the 16th century. This was a time when the Netherlands was establishing itself as a major economic and military power. We might ask ourselves, why would a 19th-century artist look back to this earlier visual style? By the 1800s, the Dutch Golden Age was long over, and the nation was struggling to maintain its international position. Might this image be a conservative call for a return to an idealized past? Or does it offer a critical view of contemporary Dutch society? To answer these questions, we need to consult historical resources. A good place to start would be publications from the Rijksmuseum itself.