Mary Stuart, Princess of Orange, as Widow of William II

Bartholomeus van der Helst (1613–1670), oil on canvas, 1652

Princess of Orange Mary Stuart I is dressed in white, the traditional colour of mourning for a noble. Her husband, Stadholder William II, had died two years earlier. Mary was keen to secure the succession of her very young son. This portrait alludes to that claim to stadtholdership: she holds an orange, symbolizing the House of Orange. At the left is depicted the Stadtholders’ Gate of the Binnenhof (Inner Court) in The Hague.

  • Artwork typepainting
  • Object numberSK-A-142
  • Dimensionsheight 199.5 cm x width 170 cm
  • Physical characteristicsolieverf op doek