Circle of Anthony van Dyck (Flemish, 1599-1641) Portrait of Prince Willem of Orange Oil on canvas 45-1/2 x 37-1/8 inches (115.6 x 94.3 cm) PROVENANCE: Hamilton Palace Collection (as by Daniel Mytens after Van Dyck); Sotheby Parke-Bernet, New York, December 3, 1974, lot 5; Private collection, acquired from the above; Sotheby's, New York, June 6, 2012, lot 91; Private collection, Chicago, Illinois, acquired from the above. The present work is a faithful copy after Anthony Van Dyck's portrait of Prince Willem of Orange (1626-1650). Van Dyck made two versions of his charming portrait, one for the sitter's parents, which descended through the family and is now in the Schloss Mosigkau collection, and a second for King Charles I, long thought to be lost, then rediscovered and sold at auction in 2018 for over $2,000,000. The version offered here closely follows Van Dyck's original, depicting the prince at about five years old, wearing a gown of golden orange silk, the color of his noble house. His slashed sleeves and elaborate lace collar and cuffs highlight his familial wealth, as the orange tree at left subtly indicates the boy's lineage. Van Dyck's portraits of children, uncommon in his oeuvre, stand out for their levity, and this example is no exception. In a display of tender realism, the young prince glances to his right, as does his faithful hound, as if someone just out of sight is drawing their attention. Yet this breach in formality does nothing to diminish the dignified impression of the prince; Van Dyck's composition perfectly captures the curious nature of a young boy, but sacrifices nothing of his nobility in doing so. HID12401132022 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved