Portrait of Willem III, Prince of Orange, King of England and Stadtholder

Godfried Schalcken, c. 1692 - c. 1697

This striking painting is a portrait of a ruler lit only by the flame of a candle. The candle has a symbolic meaning. It serves others with its light, while burning itself out. In other words, self-denial is a noble virtue. William wears a suit of armour with an ermine cloak around his neck as a sign of royalty.

Artwork typepainting
Object numberSK-A-367
Dimensionsheight 76.5 cm x width 65 cm
Physical characteristicsoil on canvas

Stories

Video

Portret van Willem III

1:25 min. - Prins van Oranje, koning van Engeland en stadhouder

Portrait of Willem III, Prince of Orange, King of England and Stadtholder

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attributed to Godfried Schalcken, 1690 - 1706

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Godfried Schalcken (mentioned on object), 1675 - 1680

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Portrait of Josina Clara van Citters (1671-1753)

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Identification

Title(s)
- Portrait of William III (1650-1702), Prince of Orange, Stadholder and from 1689 on, King of England
- Portrait of Willem III, Prince of Orange, King of England and Stadtholder
Object type
Object number
SK-A-367
Description
Portret van Willem III (1650-1702), prins van Oranje, stadhouder en sedert 1689 koning van Engeland. Buste in wapenrusting bij een brandende kaars.
Inscriptions / marks
signature: ‘G. Schalcken’

Creation

Creation
painter: Godfried Schalcken
Dating
c. 1692 - c. 1697
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Material and technique

Physical description
oil on canvas
Dimensions
height 76.5 cm x width 65 cm

This work is about

Person
Subject
Period
1689 - 1702

Acquisition and rights

Documentation

- Peter Hecht, The Debate on Symbol and Meaning in Dutch Seventeenth-Century Art : an Appeal to Common Sense, uit: Simiolus : kunsthistorisch tijdschrift, 16, 1986, pagina 173-187 - p. 176-177(zie: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3780637)
- Peter Hecht, Candlelight and Dirty Fingers, or Royal Virtue in Disguise : Some Thoughts on Weyerman and Godfried Schalken, uit: Simiolus : kunsthistorisch tijdschrift, 11, 1980, pagina 23-38 - p. 25-29(zie: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3780511)
- De inrichting van de Nationale Konst-Gallery in het openingsjaar 1800, uit: Oud Holland, 95, 1981, 4, pagina pp. 170-227 - p. 187-188, afb. 31(zie: http://www.jstor.org/stable/42711068)
- Documentatiemap Schilderijen: aantekeningen R. van Luttervelt (voor 1963).
- Cat. tent. Face to Face : Three Centuries of Artists' Self-Portraiture, Liverpool (National Museums & Galleries on Merseyside Liverpool), 1994-95, p. 70.
- G.H. Veth, Aanteekeningen omtrent eenige Dordrechtsche schilders xxxii : Godefridus Schalcken, uit: Oud-Holland : nieuwe bijdragen voor de geschiedenis der Nederlandsche kunst, letterkunde, nijverheid, enz., 10, 1892, pagina 1-16 - p. 7

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Persistent URL

To refer to this object, please use the following persistent URL:
https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200107976