An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (2025)

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An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III

Marieke de Natris

The RKD recently received a donation of a number of nineteenth-century photo albums from the Groeninx van Zoelen family. One of them contains a curious anonymous photograph of King William III (1817-1890) portrayed standing with a cigar in his mouth and holding a hat in his hand [I]. A variant of this picture in the RKD’s collection of individual carte-de-visite portraits, too, lacks the maker’s name, a date and any provenance [II]. Can these photographs nevertheless be dated or attributed? To answer these questions a search for comparative material was conducted; however, it soon became apparent that most of the portrait photographs of the monarch in other collections and in (photo)-historical literature are not unequivocally attributed or dated. The discovery of the two anonymous photographs was the incentive to attempt to determine when and for which photographers the king posed. This article also examines what the portraits were subsequently used for, thus providing context for the photographs that were found.

Early photography
Ever since the invention by Louis Daguerre (1787-1851), the later King William III had been able to follow the development of the new medium of photography through Dutch newspapers. He was no doubt familiar with the daguerreotype – a photograph on a silver (or silver-plated) sheet – from around 1846 of his brother Prince Alexander (1818-1848).1 A few years later William’s sons Prince William (1840-1879) and Prince Maurice (1843-1850) were immortalised in a photographic double portrait.2 There were also photographs on paper early on in the family, such as those of his uncle Prince Frederick (1797-1881) from around 1847 and his aunt Princess Marianne (1810-1883) from around 1855.3

As far as is known, William III himself was only photographed for the first time in 1860 or 1861. The honour went to Robert Severin (1839-c. 1883), as inscribed on the label on the back of the photograph: ‘R. Severin / de / Dusseldorf / Photographe de plusiers / Cours / Noordeinde 109. / a La Haye’ ['R. Severin / of / Dusseldorf / Photographer to various / Courts / Noordeinde 109. / in The Hague']. This photographer had settled in The Hague in September 1860, not far from Noordeinde Palace where William resided during the winter season. At the end of 1860 or early in 1861, the king went to the photo studio, dressed in a knee-length coat with a dark collar and striped trousers.4 There he assumed various poses. In one photo from the series, he is standing with his left foot slightly forward, his left hand resting on the pedestal of the column next to him [III]. He holds his walking stick and top hat in his right hand and stares, motionless, at the camera. Something seems to have been hidden under the carpet slightly behind his right foot, probably the stand of a concealed support with clamps that was used to secure the sitter by the neck or arm to help him stay still.

In the next full-length shot, the king is standing turned to the left while leaning on a pedestal with his right arm. He was also shown sitting and in a fourth variant, which was printed by the photographer as a vignetted bust, almost in profile (for an illustration of these and the following portraits, see the overview at the end of this article).

That the series was made on 23 January 1861 at the latest can be deduced from a dated print of this bust that was found: ‘Het Loo, 8 Februarij 1861 / Willem’ ['Het Loo, 8 February 1861 / William']. On 24 January the king had left The Hague for the flooded Bommelerwaard region in the province of Gelderland. On 1 February the dyke at Leeuwen also broke, inundating the entire Maas and Waal region which the king then also visited. Afterwards, he apparently went on to Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn before returning to the royal residence in The Hague on 9 February. His sympathy and financial support won him so much popularity among the Dutch people that upon his arrival he was met by an enthusiastic crowd and a guard of honour. To mark this event, the organisers of the festive welcome received a photographic portrait of the king.5 It must have been taken during one the posing sessions mentioned above.

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (1)

I
Anonymous
Portrait of King William III (1817-1890)
albumen print, paper on cardboard, 69 x 43 mm (photo), 93 x 62 mm (cardboard mount)
The Hague, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History, Groeninx van Zoelen Album VI, no. 16
Photo RKD/Vicky Foster

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (2)

II

Anonymous
Portrait of King William III (1817-1890)
albumen print, paper on cardboard 71 x 45 mm (photograph), 94 x 62 mm (cardboard mount)
The Hague, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History
Photo RKD/Vicky Foster

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (3)

III
Robert Severin
Portrait of King William III
carte-de-visite, albumen print 100 x 61 mm
The Hague, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History
Photo RKD

Royal coat of arms
Not much later Severin petitioned William III for permission to use the royal coat of arms. This warrant was granted to him on 3 May 1861. He probably hung a coat of arms on his shop front, as was the custom. In any case, he certainly put it on his label and from then on called himself Photographe du Roi.6 The dated cartes-de-visite with such a label in the RKD’s collection of portrait iconography mostly bear the date 1861 or 1862 [IV].7 He subsequently ordered pre-printed cardboard stock mounts for his cartes-de-visite.

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (4)

IV
Label of Robert Severin on the back of a carte-de-visite from 1861 with the portrait of Frederik baron van Hogendorp (1802-1872)
The Hague, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History
Photo RKD

Another portrait of William III by Severin, which is marked in the same way, can now be dated to this period as well. By then, the photographer had a number of studio props at his disposal. He placed William in a domestic setting, in a carved chair at a table with an open photo album resting on it. In the background is a mantelpiece on which the king could place his hat. Severin also made a variant showing the king standing, hat in hand. A copy of this photograph in the Dutch Royal Collections is annotated ‘15 Mei 62’ ['15 May 62'].8 However, this does not necessarily mean that it was taken on that day. Cartes-de-visite were often given or sent to acquaintances and were frequently dated by the sender or recipient. The latter seems to have been the case here, because on that date the king had another posing session elsewhere, namely in Paris.

Paris
In 1862 William III and Queen Sophie were there to visit Emperor Napoleon III and his wife, with whom the couple were friends. On 15 May the king went to the studio of the then famous photographer André-Adolphe Eugene Disdéri (1819-1889), the inventor of the carte-de-visite (1854), on Boulevard des Italiens. This would appear to have attracted quite a lot of attention:

Around four o’clock this afternoon, the king of the Netherlands, accompanied by five gentlemen of his entourage, went to the atelier of the emperor’s photographer Disdéri & Co., [...] to have several portraits taken in different poses. The two elegant, four-horse carriages soon attracted the attention of the public, and as this was precisely the hour when the beau monde promenade, and moreover as everything that disposes over its own time is on the move, a large crowd soon gathered at this point, greeting the king on his departure with lively expressions of sympathy.9

This news report made no mention of what took place in the studio. Another paper reported that ‘His Majesty the King, accompanied by his entire retinue, [...] on his latest visit to Paris, honoured the studios of Mr Disdéri, photographer to His Majesty the Emperor, with his His Excellency’s presence and it has pleased His Majesty to congratulate this gentleman on the favourable outcome of the new large portraits for which His Majesty has posed.’10

Disdéri also made cartes-de-visite of these pictures, which he sold not only to the person portrayed, but to anyone wishing to include the king in their photo album. Two variants are known: one with the sitter standing and the other sitting. The cartes-de-visite also became available to the Dutch public. They were for sale in bookshops as well as at art dealers, such as J.Th. de Brouwer (1831-1888) in Rotterdam, who advertised them in June 1862 [V].11

Photographs as models
Before one could speak of photo sessions, many painted and drawn portraits of William III had already been made and circulated in print. Most were by the portrait and history painter Nicolaas Pieneman (1809-1860), or based on his work [VI]. According to the king, Pieneman was a close friend of his and thus the painter had no need to rely on photographs of the monarch.12 Lesser gods had to make do with other models. The first mention of a painted portrait based on a photograph of the monarch is by the Rotterdam artist Jacob Spoel (1820-1868). Commissioned by the publisher Hendrik Nijgh (1815-1895), he painted a portrait of the king in uniform in 1862 ‘with the aid of the most successful photographs, for which His Majesty had lately posed.’13 Willem Bernardus IJzerdraat (1835-1907) then made a colour lithograph of it, which was published by Nijgh on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of Dutch independence [VII]. A comparison of the lithograph with the above-mentioned portrait photographs from The Hague and Paris reveals that the painter did not choose the more recent portraits by Disdéri as his model, but Severin’s photograph of the sitting king taken two years earlier [VIII]. Spoel’s portrait had been approved by the king himself. According to the newspaper, ‘the likeness [...] was therefore excellent and the whole representation perfectly suited to the external appearance of the august model.’14

The same photograph by Severin, together with the bust from the series, was also used by a stamp designer [IX, X].15 The lithograph by IJzerdraat was in turn photographed by Caro & van Loo (also in Rotterdam) and sold as a carte-de-visite portrait.16

These are but a few examples of the circulation of the king’s likeness. Severin’s photographs (and later photographic portraits) formed the basis of many other kinds of images of William III. This notwithstanding, the photographs sold so well that by 1865 Severin’s negatives had worn out. The photographer then turned once more to the king, this time requesting permission to take a new portrait of him.17

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (5)

V
Advertisement by art dealer J.Th. de Brouwer
Nieuwe Rotterdamsche courant 10 June 1862

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (6)

VI
Louis Wegner
Nicolaas Pieneman with his 1856 Portrait of King William III 1856-1860
Leiden, University Libraries, inv. no. PK-F-96.007
Photo UBL

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (7)

VII
Willem Bernardus IJzerdraat after Jacob Spoel
Portrait of King William III (1817-1890) 1862
lithograph, 450 x 372 mm
Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, inv.nr. RP-P-OB-105.633
Photo museum

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (8)

VIII
Robert Severin
Portrait of King William III (1817-1890) 1860-1861
Whereabouts unknown

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (9)

IX
Carl Wilhelm Mieling
Design for Dutch Postage Stamps 1867 1866
Photo and pencil on paper, 86 x 52 mm (entire sheet)
The Hague, National Archives, Postage Rates Collection, 43964IO
Photo NA

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (10)

X
Carl Wilhelm Mieling
Design for Dutch Postage Stamps 1867 1866
Photo and pencil on paper, 75 x 62 mm (entire sheet)
The Hague, National Archives, Postage Rates Collection, 43964IP
Photo NA

In uniform
William III agreed, and on 14 May ‘His Majesty the King [...] paid a visit to the photography studio of Mr R. Severin to have his portrait taken wearing the uniform of the mounted artillery.’18 The most complete print of this shows him three-quarter length and is now in the Museum Corps Mounted Artillery in ‘t Harde [XI].19 The part from the shoulders upwards was enlarged by the photographer and retouched until the print resembled a chalk drawing, a so-called crayon portrait [XII].20 He also made cartes-de-visite for sale with the king shown hip-length.21

In 1866 the lithographer and publisher Joseph Vürtheim (1808-1900) used this photograph as a model for the design of a postage stamp. Years later, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of William III’s reign in 1874, the photograph was the source of inspiration for the decoration of a paper bag advertising ‘festive cigars’ [XIII].

As far as portrait photographs are concerned, the late 1860s seem to have been dominated by the volunteer corps (marksmen’s clubs, also called ‘de Weerbaarheid’). For instance, in September 1868, the king visited the camp and festivities of the first national shooting competition of the volunteers on the Waalsdorpervlakte near The Hague. On the 26th, he posed for the occasion in the uniform of the ‘general of the riflemen’ and on the same day he presented his ‘large-format photograph’ wearing the uniform of General of Artillery to Mr Schubart, president of the Resistance Association.22 The other members of the board received an ordinary print. This was ‘a real royal gift,’ according to the Dagblad voor Zuidholland en ‘s Gravenhage.23 A few days earlier, the king had received a ‘photographic image’ of the camp from Mr Schubart, ’beautifully and admirably made by the skilful Delboy Brothers.’24 When in August 1869 the ‘nationaal concours der scherpschutters’ [national competition of marksmen] was organised at De Bilt, the king was again present. The event is commemorated in a group portrait.

Celebration
In 1874 William III celebrated the 25th anniversary of his reign. Various photographic portraits were used for the massive amount of printed matter ensuing from this celebration. However, it is not certain whether these were made especially for the occasion, whereby most cannot at first be dated any more precisely than ‘in or before 1874.’ The same applies to the photographs that served as models for his seventieth birthday in 1887. Some of the pictures were later re-released by their creator or someone else, such as those of William III in the uniform of the KNIL taken by the Swiss photographer Francis de Jongh (1833-1912), copies of which can also be found bearing the name of his successor Martin Nestler (?-?). Like Severin, De Jongh had been ‘certified’ by the Dutch king.

In some cases, the reason why the photograph was taken is known, which facilitates the dating. The double portrait of William III and Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1858-1934), the later queen regent, was taken in Arolsen in 1878, after the announcement of their engagement [XIV]. Two examples give an impression of the creativity aroused by the king’s second marriage: Herman ten Kate (1822-1891) took the photograph as the starting point for a work that was published as a premium plate with Het nieuws van de dag on the occasion of the king’s birthday on 19 February 1881; and, in the same year the couple was mounted in a photograph of Bronbeek, then a home for disabled soldiers, to depict a visit by the couple to this institute [XV, XVI].

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (11)

XI
Robert Severin
Portrait of King William III (1817-1890)
c. 300 x 230 mm (image)
’t Harde, Museum Corps Mounted Artillery
Photo museum

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (12)

XII
Robert Severin
Portrait of King William III (1817-1890)
retouched photograph, 667 x 541 mm
signed lower right 'R. Severin / la Haije'
Apeldoorn, Museum Paleis het Loo on loan from Geschiedkundige Vereniging Oranje Nassau, inv. no. C116
Photo museum

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (13)

XIII
Paper cigar bag with the portrait of King William III and a verse, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his reign in 1874
Rotterdam, Municipal Archives, collection of prints and drawings
Photo SAR

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (14)

XIV
Theodor Molsberger
Portrait of King William III (1817-1890) and his fiancé, the later Queen Emma (1858-1934) 1878
carte-de-visite, albumen print, 102 x 65 mm
The Hague, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History
Photo RKD

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (15)

XV
Herman ten Kate
Portrait of King William III (1817-1890), Queen Emma (1858-1934) and Princess Wilhelmina (1880-1962) 1881
oil on panel, 33.5 x 45.5 cm
Whereabouts unknown
Illustration in Tentoonstelling uit koninklijk bezit ten bate van de ontheemden, Utrecht 1956, p. 46 no. 206

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (16)

XVI
Anonymous
King William III and Queen Emma Visiting Bronbeek, 12-08-1881
photo, 55 x 85 mm
Arnhem, Gelders archief, Photographic collection former Arnhem Municipal Archives (1501-04), inv. no. 16737
Photo GAA

Amateur photographer
Does this exercise bring us any closer to the maker of the portrait from the photo album mentioned at the beginning of this article? Not yet: none of the portrait photographs mentioned looks like it. This suggests that its maker is probably not to be found among professional photographers, but rather in William III’s immediate circle; someone wealthy enough to be able to afford such a hobby, and also so familiar to the king that he allowed himself to be photographed in this informal way, smoking a cigar.25 This is indicated by the format of the photograph – smaller than the cartes-de-visite used by the professional photographer – the lack of a stamp or imprint, and the poor detail and tone. The prince’s age is difficult to estimate due to the lack of details: however, as regards his stature and hairstyle, the portrait is comparable to the photographs by Severin and Disdéri from the early 1860s. All of this suggests that we should date both anonymous photographs to the period circa 1858-1862.

Photographing was probably done outside as there was more light there. A screen would have been set up to create a neutral background and the ground covered with rugs. Such an improvised studio is seen in the portraits that amateur photographer and traveller Alexine Tinne (1835-1869) took of her family members around 1860 [XVII]. The uneven background sometimes make for a somewhat untidy appearance. Even early photos by professional photographers occasionally look less polished, such as Severin’s carte-de-visite portrait of Jean François Dumonceau (1790-1884), head of the King’s Military Household and resident of the Court Commission [XVIII].

Since the photograph was found in a Groeninx van Zoelen family album, its maker could be sought in that quarter as various members of that family and related noble families served the royal family. An overview of early gentleman photographers is not yet available, but Mattie Boom, photography curator at the Rijksmuseum, mentions several in her research on amateur photography from the 1880s onwards. Looking for an amateur photographer in the king’s entourage, the eye soon falls on Matthieu Christiaan Hendrik knight Pauw van Wieldrecht (1816-1885).26 After having worked as secretary to the Dutch legation in Madrid and Vienna, he was appointed lord chamberlain and legal secretary to King William III in 1854.27 In 1856, however, his position at court was changed to that of ‘extraordinary chamberlain,’ meaning that he was longer part of the king's immediate circle at that time. Another noble amateur photographer was Godard Adrian Jacob baron van Randwijck (1805-1870), lord of Rossum, Heesselt and Beek. A number of photographs from around 1860 are attributed to him; however, he too was only an ‘extraordinary chamberlain.’ Finally, Arthur baron de Woelmont (1826-1911) is known to have photographed his castle, Ammersoyen, and the collection of family portraits there in the period 1868-1870. He also previously photographed the flood of 1861. Coincidentally, he hosted the king for one night during the latter’s visit to the affected region, which could have afforded him the opportunity of portraying William III.28 Whether he did so is not (yet) known.

Although the maker of the unknown photographs cannot yet be identified, the hunt is on! Now, we are on the trail of an amateur photographer in the circle of King William III in the early 1860s.

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (17)

XVII
Alexine Tinne
Portrait of Henriette Marie Louise van Capellen (1796-1863) 1859-1861
albumen print, 158 x 123 mm
The Hague, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History
Photo RKD

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (18)

XVIII
Robert Severin
Portrait of Jean François Dumonceau (1790-1884) 1860-1861
carte-de-visite, albumen print, 101 x 59 mm
The Hague, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History
Photo RKD/Vicky Foster

Summary of the photographic portraits of King William III.

The (provisional) dating is based on online sources, literature research and the collection of individual portrait photographs of William III in the Royal Collections. Many thanks to Steven Coene and Karin van Stigt, Royal Collections.

Because a photograph can be printed in various formats, dimensions have not been included.

1a
Anonymous
n.d.

The Hague, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History, Groeninx van Zoelen Album VI, p. 16
Photo RKD/Vicky Foster

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (19)

1b
See 1a

The Hague, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History
Photo RKD/Vicky Foster

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (20)

2a
Robert Severin
The Hague, 25 September 1860-24 January 1861

Dating based on the photographer’s establishment in The Hague and a dated variant (see 2d) that must have been made before the king left The Hague to visit Bommelerwaard.29

The Hague, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History, RKDimages artwork no. 166428. Photo RKD

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (21)

2b
See 2a

The Hague, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History, Von Wied I Album (RKDimages artwork no. 180385), p. 3a. Photo RKD/Vicky Foster

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (22)

2c
See 2a

Whereabouts unknown30
Illustration in: J. van der Klooster, Oranje in beeld, Zaltbommel 1966, no. 267

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (23)

2d
See 2a

Another copy of this photograph is annotated: ‘Het Loo, 8 Februarij 1861 / Willem’ ['Het Loo, 8 February 1861 / William'].31

The Hague, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History, RKDimages artwork no. 190447
Photo RKD

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (24)

3a
Robert Severin
The Hague, after 3 May 1861-before 15 May 1862

Label: ‘R. Severin, / photographe du roi, / 109, Noordeinde, / La Haye.’ ['R. Severin, / photographer to the king, / 109, Noordeinde, / The Hague.']
Annotated: ‘15 Mei 62’ ['15 May 62']

The Hague, Royal Collections, inv. no. FO-0001093
Photo RC/Karin van Stigt

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (25)

3b
See 3a

Blind stamped: 'R. Severin'
Label: ‘R. Severin, / photographe du roi, / 109, Noordeinde, / La Haye.’ ['R. Severin, / photographer to the king, / 109, Noordeinde, / The Hague.']

The Hague, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History, RKDimages artwork no. 166398
Photo RKD

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (26)

4a
André-Adolphe Eugene Disdéri
Paris, 15 May 1862

In Germany, E.G. May & Wirsing printed a lithograph that largely corresponds with this version, though the pose differs slightly. Whether the maker relied on this picture as a model and used his imagination, or a third photograph was taken during the visit to Disdéri, is not known. A copy of the lithograph is in the Municipal Archives of The Hague, id. no. gr. B 1253.

Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, inv. no. RP-F-1996-272, printed on one sheet with 4b.
Photo museum

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (27)

4b
See 4a

Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, inv. no. RP-F-1996-272, printed on one sheet with 4a.
Photo museum

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (28)

5

Robert Severin
The Hague, 14 May 1865

Dating based on a news item that day in Dagblad van Zuidholland en ‘s Gravenhage. The fact that the photograph was not taken before 1865 can be established by the cockade on the bearskin cap, which was only first introduced in that year.

Blind stamped on the passepartout, lower centre: ‘R. Severin / Photographe de S.M. le Roi / [wapen] / Noordeinde 109 / La Haye’ ['R. Severin / Photographer of His Majesty the King / [coat of arms] / Noordeinde 109 / The Hague']

Museum Corps Mounted Artillery, inv. no. V0065
Photo museum

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (29)

6a
Robert Severin
The Hague, 26 September 1868

Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, inv. no. RP-F-1994-62-48
Photo museum

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (30)

6b
See 6a

The Hague, Municipal Archives of The Hague, inv. no. 1.68935
Photo HGA

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (31)

6c
See 6a

The Hague, Municipal Archives of The Hague, inv. no. 1.68939
Photo HGA

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (32)

7
Willem Cornelis van Dijk (1826-1881)
De Bilt, 16-21 August 1869

The Hague, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History, RKDimages artwork no. 205400
Photo RKD

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (33)

8
Gebr. Pieterman (active c. 1861-1873)
Rotterdam, 10 September 1869

Dating on the cardboard mount

Rotterdam, Atlas van Stolk, inv. no. 26272
Photo AvS

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (34)

9
Martin Bosse (1838-1901)
Deventer, 1873

A (vignetted) enlargement of this portrait in the Royal Collections is blind stamped: ‘M. Bosse / Deventer’.

The following could be read in the Arnhemsche courant on 29 October 1873: ‘The model for the bust of His Majesty the King on the forthcoming coin die will be [...] a photographic portrait of His Majesty in profile taken by Mr Martin Bosse, in Deventer, which was to his special satisfaction.'32

This impression is in a photo album next to a photo of a ‘gouden 10tje’ ['gold 10 guilder coin'].33

Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, inv. no. RP-F-2013-22-131
Photo museum

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (35)

10a
Francis de Jongh
Vevey, June-August 1873

Portrait of King William III in the KNIL uniform, with the insignias of the Military Order of William

This photograph was used for various printed matter on the occasion of the silver jubilee of the king’s reign in 1874: for example, see RKDimages artwork no. 287187.

In December 1873, a lithographic portrait after the Swiss photograph published by P.C. Hoog in Rotterdam was discussed in the newspaper, and in the first months of 1874, several so-called oleographs after the photograph from Vevey are mentioned. The prince’s latest stay in Vevey was from approximately the end of June to mid-August 1873.34

Leeuwarden, Fries Museum, Koninklijk Fries Genootschap, object no. PO079-13
Photo museum

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (36)

10b
See 10a

Annotated: ‘Herinnering aan den 15 Mei 1874. / Willem’ ['In memory of 15 May 1874. / William']

The Hague, Royal Collections, inv. no. FO-0001096
Photo RC/Karin van Stigt

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (37)

10c
See 10a

Arnhem, Gelders Archief, Huis te Ruurlo Album, object no. 0894-1599-0018
Photo GAA

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (38)

10d
See 10a

The Hague, Royal Collections, inv. no. FO-0001101
Photo RC/Karin van Stigt

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (39)

11
Francis de Jongh
Vevey, June-August 1873

For the dating, see 10a.

The illustrated copy was made by Martin Nestler ‘successeur de F. de Jongh’ ['successor of F. de Jongh'], and is also in the Royal Collections.

Perhaps it was used as a model for a drawing on the occasion of the jubilee of 1874: see CODA, inv. no. F531-041.

The Hague, Royal Collections, inv. no. FO-0001100
Photo RC/Karin van Stigt

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (40)

12
Francis de Jongh
Vevey, June-August 1873

For the dating, see no. 10a.

The illustrated copy was made by Martin Nestler and is also in the Royal Collections.
Inscribed on the back: ‘Martin Nestler / successeur de F. de Jongh’ [Martin Nestler / successor of F. de Jongh']

The Hague, Royal Collections, inv. no. FO-0001090
Photo RC/Karin van Stigt

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (41)

13
Attributed to Francis de Jongh
Vevey, June-August 1873

Attribution based on no. 12 and the lithograph made of this photo at the end of 1873 ‘from a photograph recently produced in Switzerland', see RKDimages artwork no. 165158.35

For the dating, see no. 10a.

This photograph was used for various printed matter on the occasion of the silver jubilee of the king’s reign: for example, see the Herinneringsplaat 1849-1874, Apeldoorn, CODA, inv. no. FS41-042.

Rotterdam, Atlas van Stolk, inv. no. 128187
Photo AvS

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (42)

14
De Lavieter & Co
The Hague, c. 1874-1877

Inscription [oblique, in red]: ‘De Lavieter & Co / Photographes / Willemstraat No. 2. / La Haye’ ['De Lavieter & Co / Photographers / Willemstraat No. 2. / The Hague']

Dating based on the photographer’s inscription. Used for images commemorating the king’s 70th birthday, as in RKDimages artwork nos. 166429 and 190540.

Leeuwarden, Fries Museum, Koninklijk Fries Genootschap, object no. PO083-03B
Photo museum

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (43)

15a
Martin Nestler
Vevey, after 1874, possibly 1877-1878

From the inscriptions on the portraits taken in Switzerland can be deduced that Martin Nestler took over Francis de Jongh’s studio around 1874.

Nestler no longer mentions the name of his predecessor in these photographs; however, it is not known when he felt this was no longer necessary.

On 4 January 1879, the Java-Bode mentions a portrait of the king by M. Nestler by W. Bruining & Co. 'received by post via Naples'. It is most likely one from this series.

Probably taken in the same period as nos. 16 and 17.

The Hague, Royal Collections, inv. no. FO-0001098
Photo RC/Karin van Stigt

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (44)

15b
See 15a

The Hague, Royal Collections, inv. no. FO-0001097
Photo RC/Karin van Stigt

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (45)

16
Martin Nestler
Vevey, in or before 1878

Dating based on no. 17, which was probably taken during the same photo session.

Most likely taken in the same period as nos. 15a and 15b.

The Hague, Royal Collections, inv. no. FO-0001099
Photo RC/Karin van Stigt

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (46)

17
Reproduction by Amand (probably after Martin Nestler)
In or before 1878

Photograph pasted in N.M. Feringa’s Gedenkboek betreffende het volkspetitionnement published in 1878.

The original shot was probably taken by Martin Nestler during the same photo session as no. 16.

Most likely taken in the same period as nos. 15a and 15b.

Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, RP-F-2001-7-931-1
Photo museum

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (47)

18
Johannes Ganz (1821-1886)
Zurich, 1877

This copy is an enlargement by his son Rudolf Ganz (1848-1928). Dating is based on the year in which William III visited Zurich.36

The Hague, Royal Collections, inv. no. FO-0000087
Photo RC

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (48)

19
Theodor Molsberger (?-?)
Arolsen, late September-mid-November 1878

Dating based on the description of the copy in the Royal Collections: FO-0000819

The Hague, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History, RKDimages artwork no. 166433
Photo RKD

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (49)

20
Maurits Verveer (1817-1903)
Portrait of King William III, Queen Emma and Princess Wilhelmina
The Hague, c. 12 October 1880

Taken on the occasion of the baptism of Princess Wilhelmina on 12 October 1880.

The Hague, Royal Collections, inv. no. FO-0001089
Photo RC/Karin van Stigt

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (50)

21
Reproduction after Richard Kameke (1847-after 1889)
Arnhem, 15 September 1881

In the Royal Collections is also found a – damaged – original, with the date inscribed in a modern hand: ‘15-9-1881.’

The Hague, Royal Collections, inv. no. FO-0001094
Photo RC/Karin van Stigt

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (51)

22
Heinrich Wilhelm Wollrabe (1843-1928)
The Hague, 1879-1887

Dating based on the photographer’s inscription: ‘Hofphotograaf van Z.M. den koning en H.M. de koningin der Nederlanden en Z.K.H. Alexander prins van Oranje’ ['Court photographer to His Majesty the King and Queen of the Netherlands and H.R.H. Alexander, Prince of Orange']. Alexander was the heir apparent from the death of elder brother William in 1879 until his own death in 1884.

In the Royal Collections are some copies with the same inscription published by W.J. van Hoogstraten. The newspapers mention such a publication for the first time in 1887. This indicates that in 1887, the photographer was still using the now obsolete inscription. In the Dagblad van Zuidholland en ‘s Gravenhage of 17 January 1887, the publication on the occasion of the king’s birthday is commended as a photograph ‘based on one of the best and latest photographic works produced abroad'. In the following weeks, the advertisements no longer mention a foreign photographer and only Wollrabe is given as the maker. The king is depicted in ‘civilian dress.’37

The Hague, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History, RKDimages artwork no. 287186
Photo RKD

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (52)

23
Hugo Thiele (1843-1898)
Frankfurt, probably 1882

Dating based on the photographer’s inscription: ‘Hofphotograph / [wapen] J.M. d. Königin d. Niederlande’ ['Court photographer / [coat of arms] to Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands']. Thiele received permission to use Emma’s coat of arms on 18 February 1882. A reproduction of this print in the RKD's collection of portrait iconography is accompanied by a caption with the date 1882.

A drawing based on this photograph appeared in the Provinciale Overijsselsche en Zwolsche courant of 14 February 1887.

The Hague, Royal Collections, inv. no. FO-0001092
Photo RC/Karin van Stigt

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (53)

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Notes

1 The Hague, Royal Collections, object no. FO-0000073.

2 The Hague, Royal Collections, object no. FO-0000434. Of the double portrait, only a print on paper from around 1860 is known. This is most likely a photograph after a daguerreotype.

3 M.J.H. Van Rooijen-Buchwaldt, ‘Portfolio/De eerste eeuw hoffotografie in Nederland: 1839-1940,’ Maatstaf (1992) 11/12, pp. 68-96, p. 84 and A.D. Renting (ed.), Paleis het Loo, een koninklijk museum, Apeldoorn 2012, p. 248.

4 In the most comprehensive publication on Robert Severin, one of the photographs from this series is dated ‘early 1861.’ No reason is given why the posing session could not have taken place at the end of 1860. S. Boone and T. de Ruiter, Robert Severin, 1994 (Geschiedenis van de Nederlandse fotografie in monografieën en thema-artikelen), p. 1 (‘early 1861’) and p. a (‘c. 1861’).

5 Dagblad van Zuidholland en ‘s Gravenhage 12 February 1861 ‘We understand that it has pleased His Majesty the King to present a photographic portrait to the members of the Committee of the Honour Guard who awaited His Majesty upon His return to the residence as a reminder of that day’.

6 Photographers who were allowed to use the royal coat of arms often called themselves ‘court photographers’ and were usually referred to as such in the newspapers; however, this was not an existing profession. The title that accompanied the licence was ‘purveyor to the royal household.’ The photographers themselves did not use that. Supplying one of the members of the Royal Household was not a condition for receiving the designation, nor did it give any right to it. H. Rooseboom, De schaduw van de fotograaf. Positie en status van een nieuw beroep, 1839-1889, Leiden 2008, pp. 178-183. See also: M.R. van der Krogt, Hofleveranciers in Nederland, Amsterdam 1985.

7 See RKDimages artwork nos. 155019, 155022, 158831, 161397 and 285794 (1861); 161037 and 159160 (1862). The date 1864 on a single photograph with the same label (artwork no. 159280) could refer to the year in which the picture was given away. Two other portraits also point to an early dating of this label: the persons portrayed died in 1862, which rules out a later dating (artwork nos. 154781 and 150519).

8 The Hague, Royal Collections, old no. A XII 983b.

9 Utrechtsche provinciale en stads-courant 17 May 1862.

10 Nieuw dagblad van ‘s Gravenhage 22 May 1862.

11 Nieuwe Rotterdamsche courant 10 June 1862.

12 L.J. van der Klooster, ‘Portret van koning Willem III door Nicolaas Pieneman (1860),’ Vereniging ‘Oranje Nassau Museum’ gevestigd te ‘s-Gravenhage. Jaarverslag 1968, 1969, pp. 13-18.

13 Dagblad van Zuidholland en ‘s Gravenhage 28 January 1863. The painting was exhibited in Rotterdam, The Hague and Amsterdam. It subsequently became the property of W.C.M. de Jonge van Ellemeet (1811-1888). The portrait has been in the Zeeuws Museum since 1911, inv. no. G1652.

14 Dagblad van Zuidholland en ‘s Gravenhage 28 January 1863.

15 Carl Wilhelm Mieling (1815-1903). National Archives, Postage Rates Collection, 43964IO and 43964IP.

16 Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, IJzerdraat: RP-P-OB-105.633; Caro & Van Loo: RP-F-00-7333.

17 H. Rooseboom, De schaduw van de fotograaf. Positie en status van een nieuw beroep, 1839-1889, Leiden 2008, p. 178.

18 Dagblad van Zuidholland en ‘s Gravenhage 14 May 1865.

19 With thanks to Marijke Schumacher and colleagues, Museum Corp Mounted Artillery.

20 Het Loo Palace, on loan from the Geschiedkundige Vereniging Oranje Nassau, inv. no. C116. N. Coppes, ‘Fotografie(k), geschilderd met licht,’ Liber amicorum Marieke Spliethoff, Jaarboek Oranje Nassau 2015, p. 269, as (c.) 1860. Also included in Q. van der Meer Mohr and M. Spliethoff, Uitgelicht. De verzameling van de Geschiedkundige Vereniging Oranje-Nassau in Paleis Het Loo Nationaal Museum. Catalogus van tekeningen, aquarellen en gouaches, Apeldoorn 2012, cat. no. 73, p. 79, as a drawing from around 1860.

21 For instance, see: RKDimages artwork no. 190532.

22 Bijvoegsel Dagblad van Zuidholland en ‘s Gravenhage 27 September 1868; Bredasche courant 27 September 1868.

23 Dagblad van Zuidholland en ‘s Gravenhage 26 September 1868.

24 Dagblad van Zuidholland en ‘s Gravenhage 23 September 1868.

25 With thanks to Rudi Ekkart and José van Geldorp for drawing my attention to this.

26 M. Boom, Kodak in Amsterdam. De opkomst van de amateurfotografie in Nederland 1880-1910, dissertation 2017, pp. 24-26 p. The idea that Matthieu Pauw van Wieldrecht would have photographed is based on two anonymous stereo photographs of his family in the Rijksmuseum (object nos. RP-F-2007-349-91 and RP-F-2007-349-92). It is certain that his son Henry (1863-1912) took photographs.

27 Nieuwe Rotterdamsche courant 25 January 1854.

28 Dagblad van Zuidholland en ‘s Gravenhage 31 January 1861; S. van Doornmalen, ‘Zo goed als deze silhouetten maar kunnen zijn.’ De oudste foto’s van de Bommelerwaard 1848-1914, Zaltbommel [n.d.], pp. 12-13, 16-23, 96-97; idem, ‘De watersnoodramp 1861. Twee unieke opnamen uit de Bommelerwaard,’ NFg Nieuwsbrief, 2003 no. 38, p. 20.

29 The king left for the affected area on 24 January and returned to the royal residence on 9 February. E. van Heuven-van Nes, ‘Koning Willem III en de watersnoodramp van 1861,’ Jaarboek Oranje Nassau museum 1993, The Hague 1994, pp. 69-109, 72, 74.

30 As Royal Archives Collection. This photograph, however, was not found there in October 2021.

31 Antiquariaat Fokas Holthuis, ‘Royalty-oranjehuis,’ cat. 23 (accessed 19 July 2021).

32 Arnhemsche courant 29 October 1873.

33 Fotoalbum van Robert Daniel Crommelin (1841-1907), Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, inv. no. RP-F-2013-22.

34 Twentsche courant 8 April 1874; De Locomotief 17 July 1873; Het Vaderland 22 August 1873. The king planned to leave for Vevey on 18 June. He returned to The Hague on 22 August.

35 Dagblad van Zuidholland en ‘s Gravenhage 13 December 1873: ‘These past few days we were given the opportunity to view a very similar portrait of His Majesty the King, drawn by Mr C. Bos in Leiden from a photograph recently taken in Switzerland and brought to the market by Mr P.C. Hoog in Rotterdam on the occasion of the upcoming silver jubilee of the reign of our honoured King. The portrait, a bust of natural size in an oval, deserves to be called a masterpiece of drawing and processing’.

36 Object description at www.koninklijkeverzamelingen.nl (accessed 3 October 2021).

37 Dagblad van Zuidholland en ‘s Gravenhage 14 February 1887. Virtually the same announcement could be read two years later; however, then there was also a portrait in uniform for sale, see: Het Vaderland 7 May 1889. Perhaps this was Wollrabes’ reproduction of De Jongh’s fifteen-year-earlier shot of the king in KNIL uniform.

An august model. Photographs of the Dutch king William III (2025)
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