Nassau on horseback
Subtitle: meaning, form and function of Nassau equestrian imagery in the Netherlands since the 16th century
By: door Paul Rijkens
Publisher: Dr. Paul R. Rijkens
Published: 2015
Place of publication: Amsterdam
Language: eng
Number of pages: 331
ISBN-13: 9789491098291
Subjects: Horses in art; History; Netherlandish Art; Art collections
Description: Nassau on Horseback is a study of rulership image-making. Equestrian imagery used for this purpose has a tradition extending back more than two thousand years to the Greeks and Romans. Their rulers understood that authority is partly a matter of impressing and persuading those over whom authority is wielded through the public display of their images. Eventually rulers all over the world adopted this practice as is testified by ca. 900 equestrian rulership and memorial statues in 76 countries.00This dissertation aims to determine if and how this practice was adopted by the stadholders Hendrik III, William of Orange, Maurits, Frederik Hendrik, William III, and more recently by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. Since the early 16th century some 225 Orange-Nassau equestrian tapestries, paintings, prints, statues, photographs and a film have come down to us (not counting other works of art and memorabilia). It will be determined if these images evolved in accordance with the aristocratic tradition, or as result of a deliberate rulership communication strategy. Orange-Nassau equestrian imagery has not been studied before from this point of view.
Notes: "Academisch Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad doctor aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam op gezag van Rector Magnificus prof. dr. D.C. van den Boom ten overstaan van een door het College voor Promotie ingestelde commissie, in het opnbaar te verdedigen in de Agnietenkapel op vrijdag 8 mei 2015, om 14.00 uur."

Includes bibliographical references.