Where can I see Willem IV (1711-51), prins van Oranje Nassau?

Willem IV (1711-51), prins van Oranje Nassau is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Willem IV (1711-51), prins van Oranje Nassau?

Willem IV (1711-51), prins van Oranje Nassau is associated with Rococo painting.

Artwork

Willem IV (1711-51), prins van Oranje Nassau

Willem IV (1711-51), prins van Oranje Nassau is an ivory painting. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The work is a small oval portrait of Willem IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau (1711–1751).

About this work

Technique & Style

The portrait of Willem IV is executed on ivory, a support traditionally favored for miniature painting because of its smooth, luminous surface.

The portrait of Willem IV is executed on ivory, a support traditionally favored for miniature painting because of its smooth, luminous surface. The work is classified as a painting in the portrait genre and is dated 1750.

According to the cataloguing data, the piece measures 5 cm in height by 4 cm in width, consistent with the small scale typical of ivory miniatures produced in Holland during the mid-eighteenth century. The Rijksmuseum holds the work as part of its collection.

No further details about the handling of the paint, specific pigments, or current condition are recorded in the available sources.

History & Provenance

The ivory portrait of Willem IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau, was created in 1750, the year before the sitter's death. According to the Wikidata record, the work was produced in Holland and is classified as a portrait painted on ivory, measuring 5 by 4 units in height and width respectively. The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains located.

No information is available regarding the original commissioner, the artist responsible for its creation, or the chain of ownership by which it entered the museum's holdings.

The portrait is held by the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, where it is recorded as a work in the anonymous collection. It is inventoried with dimensions of 5 cm in height and 4 cm in width, and the medium is specified as ivory. No exhibition history is documented in the cited sources.

Overview

The work is a small oval portrait of Willem IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau (1711–1751). Executed on a single piece of ivory, the image presents the prince in a dark coat with red trim, white cravat, and light‑brown hair pulled back. His pale complexion and direct gaze convey a solemn demeanor, set against an unadorned dark background that isolates the figure.

Subject & Meaning

Willem IV, a member of the Dutch House of Orange, is depicted in formal attire appropriate to his rank. The restrained composition and serious expression reflect the conventions of 18th‑century princely portraiture, emphasizing authority and dignity rather than personal intimacy.