Artwork
Willem V (1748-1806), Prince of Orange-Nassau
Willem V (1748-1806), Prince of Orange-Nassau is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Benjamin Samuel Bolomey. It dates from 1770 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays William V, Prince of Orange, in a manner reflecting his status and role within the Dutch aristocracy during the late 18th century. His depiction emphasizes authority and lineage, aligning with traditional royal portraiture conventions of the period.
Technique & Style
The portrait of Willem V, Prince of Orange-Nassau, is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for late eighteenth-century formal portraiture.
The portrait of Willem V, Prince of Orange-Nassau, is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for late eighteenth-century formal portraiture. The work is a full-length composition, measuring 223 cm in height and 103 cm in width, a markedly elongated format suited to a standing princely figure. Painted by Benjamin Samuel Bolomey in 1770, it belongs to the genre of portraiture and is held in the Rijksmuseum collection.
History & Provenance
Benjamin Samuel Bolomey painted this portrait in 1770, depicting William V, Prince of Orange-Nassau, as recorded in the work's creation details. The painting entered the Rijksmuseum collection and remains part of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection, establishing a clear chain of ownership from its commission to its current custodianship.
The painting resides in the Rijksmuseum collection under inventory number SK-A-2565. It has been displayed in the museum's 'Dutch Golden Age' exhibition in 2019 and previously featured in the 2007 exhibition 'Portraits of the House of Orange' at the same institution.
Overview
Created in 1770 by Swiss artist Benjamin Samuel Bolomey, this oil portrait presents William V, Prince of Orange, in the late Rococo style. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies the formal portraiture typical of European courts in the eighteenth century.
Artist & collection
Artist
Benjamin Samuel Bolomey (19 May 1739 – 19 December 1819) was a Swiss painter and politician. As an artist he spent most of his career as a portrait painter in the Netherlands.
Portrait of the Emperor Joseph II of Austria
Bildnis von Christian IV., Herzog von Pfalz-Zweibrücken (1722-1775)
Christian VI
Christian VI
Portrait of the Emperor Joseph II of Austria
Bildnis eines sächsischen Prinzen
Portrait of Stanisław August in the coronation costume
Willem V (1748-1806), prins van Oranje-Nassau
Clement Francis of Bavaria
Friedrich Christian (1722-63), Elector of Saxony and King of Poland
Kurfürst Karl Theodor von der Pfalz- Willem V (1748-1806), Prince of Orange-Nassau