Artwork

Portret van Pangeran Ario Soejono, minister zonder portefeuille in oorlogskabinet te Londen

Anton Abraham van Anrooy , 1914

Portret van Pangeran Ario Soejono, minister zonder portefeuille in oorlogskabinet te Londen is an unspecified painting by the Impressionist artist Anton Abraham van Anrooy. It dates from 1914 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work thus operates both as a personal likeness and as a historical document of cross-cultural political cooperation.

The painting portrays Pangeran Adipati Soejono, an Indonesian nobleman and political figure who, according to the work's title, served as a minister without portfolio in the wartime cabinet in London. As a formal portrait, the work functions as an official record of Soejono's diplomatic role during the wartime period, presenting him in the dignified manner typical of early twentieth-century state portraiture.

The subject's identity is central to the work's meaning: by depicting a member of the Indonesian aristocracy in a European political context, the portrait documents the participation of colonial-era Indonesian leaders in Allied wartime governance. The work thus operates both as a personal likeness and as a historical document of cross-cultural political cooperation.

History & Provenance

The portrait of Pangeran Adipati Soejono, a minister without portfolio in the war cabinet based in London, was created in 1914 by the Dutch artist Anton Abraham van Anrooy. Classified as a painting, the work depicts its subject and was produced during the early twentieth century. The artwork currently resides in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is preserved as part of their holdings.

Specific details regarding the original commission, the circumstances of its creation, or any intermediate owners between its completion and its acquisition by the museum are not provided in the available records.

Overview

Anton Abraham van Anrooy, a Dutch-born artist who later naturalised as a British citizen, painted a portrait in 1914 of Prince Ario Soejono, who served as a minister without portfolio in the Dutch wartime cabinet based in London. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies the artist’s early 20th‑century portraiture.

Technique & Style

Executed in an impressionistic manner, the painting balances loose brushwork with careful attention to surface texture. The gold embroidery on the trousers and the polished wood of the chair catch light, creating a subtle glow that contrasts with the muted green wall and the striped lamp shade behind the figure.

Context

The work belongs to a period when van Anrooy, trained in the Netherlands, was adapting to British artistic circles. His choice of an impressionist approach aligns with contemporary European trends, while the subject matter documents the political realities of the Dutch government‑in‑exile during 1914‑1918.