Portrait of a prince as a knight, Holland circa 1680

Rare portrait of a young prince leaning on the baluster of a palace terrace.
Dressed in an ocher velvet dress with lace cuffs and a cap topped with ostrich feathers, he is leaning on a luxurious “ouschka” -type Anatolian rug.
In his hands he holds a gold court sword on one side and his little king Charles on the other.
Beside him, on a perch, a parrot observes the scene.

Original canvas, perfect condition, no repainting or accident.

Frame and chassis from the end of the 18th century.

Oil on canvas, Dutch work circa 1680.

Dimensions:

Frame: Height: 75 cm; Width: 60 cm
Canvas: Height: 64 cm; Width: 49 cm

Our opinion :

While the portrait of a child was to become more democratic in the second part of the 18th century, in the 17th century it was still reserved for princes of the blood.
With his porcelain complexion, our enigmatic prince is associated with a dog and a parrot which in the great northern tradition symbolize the earth and the sky and means that he will reign among men and in accordance with the laws of God.
The dog also symbolizes loyalty to the subjects while the parrot symbolizes the young prince's ability to learn.
The tenderness expressed on the face of the child and the dog, the rendering of textiles, in particular the tiny details of the velvet of the dress or of the wool of the carpet, demonstrate the dexterity of our painter and his great talent as a colorist.
These elements prove to us that we are not in the presence of a studio copy but indeed and a canvas of the great master.