William III (1650-1702), Prince of Orange and since 1689, King of England

This second 1677 portrait of William III by Caspar Netscher — held by the Rijksmuseum — appears as a related work to the canvas discussed above, suggesting that Netscher produced multiple representations of the Prince of Orange in this year, presumably for distribution among diplomatic contacts, foreign courts, and Dutch civic bodies that wished to display their allegiance to the Stadholder. The production of multiple portrait versions was standard practice for royal and aristocratic sitters, with the primary image supplying the authoritative likeness and subsequent versions adapted for different destinations. Netscher's access to William, then on the cusp of his greatest political triumph — his marriage to Mary Stuart and his developing opposition to Louis XIV — reflects the privilege of the court painter's position.

Canvas, oil. This version may vary from the panel version in scale, composition, or the degree of armour and regalia displayed, reflecting different intended contexts. The face in both versions should derive from the same primary sitting. Netscher's studio likely assisted with the secondary passages while the master attended to the face.