ABSTRACT Title of Document: AMALIA VAN SOLMS AND THE FORMATION OF THE STADHOUDER’S ART COLLECTION, 1625-1675 Virginia C. Treanor, Doctor of Philosophy, 2012 Directed By: Professor Arthur K. Wheelock, Jr. Department of Art History and Archaeology This dissertation examines the role of Amalia van Solms (1602-1675), wife of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange and Stadhouder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands (1584-1647), in the formation of the couple’s art collection. Amalia and Frederik Hendrik’s collection of fine and decorative arts was modeled after foreign, royal courts and they cultivated it to rival those of other great European treasure houses. While some scholars have recognized isolated instances of Amalia’s involvement with artistic projects at the Stadhouder’s court, this dissertation presents a more comprehensive account of these activities by highlighing specific examples of Amalia’s patronage and collecting practices. Through an examination of gifts of art, portraits of Amalia and her porcelain collection, this study considers the ways in which Amalia contributed to the formation of the Stadhouder’s art collection. This dissertation seeks to provide a greater knowledge not only of Amalia’s activities as a patron and collector, but also a more throrough understanding of the genesis and function of the collection as a whole, which reflected the power and glory of the House of Orange during the Dutch Golden Age. AMALIA VAN SOLMS AND THE FORMATION OF THE STADHOUDER’S ART COLLECTION, 1625-1675 By Virginia Clare Treanor Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2012 Advisory Committee: Professor Arthur K. Wheelock, Jr., Chair Professor H. Perry Chapman Professor Anthony Colantuono Professor Jay Robert Dorfman Professor Meredith Gill © Copyright by Virginia Clare Treanor 2012 Disclaimer The thesis or dissertation document that follows has had referenced material removed in respect for the owner's copyright. A complete version of this document, which includes said referenced material, resides in the University of Maryland, College Park's library collection. ii Acknowledgements My greatest debt of gratitude goes to my advisor, Arthur K. Wheelock, Jr. for his generosity of time, encouragement and salient comments, all of which helped bring this dissertation to fruition. Research for this project was aided by the the American Friends of the Mauritshuis Fellowship in 2007, which allowed me to visit the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie and the Koninklijk Huisarchief in The Hague as well as the Archiv Schloss Braunfels in Braunfels, Germany. A rare visit to the Huis ten Bosch to see the Oranjezaal was made possible by the Attingham Trust whose study trip to the Netherlands I was able to attend in the spring of 2010 thanks to the generous support of Judith Hernstadt and an educational grant from the Netherland-American Foundation. In the fall of 2010, I received the Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship from the Graduate School at the University of Maryland, allowing me to devote all of my time to writing at a crucial stage in the dissertation process. I would also like to extend my thanks to the faculty and staff in the Department of Art History and Archaeology, all of whom have made my time at the University of Maryland both enlightening and enjoyable. I have also found wonderful support from my fellow graduate students with whom I have shared stimulating converstations, art historical and otherwise. For their translation help, my particular thanks goes to my good friend Laura Sheldon and Dr. Henriette de Bruyn Kops. Finally, I would like to thank my parents, my husband and my son for their support and patience. iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Stadhouderly Patronage .................................................................................................. 1 Approach and Objectives ................................................................................................ 3 Amalia in the Literature .................................................................................................. 6 Women as Patrons......................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 1: Amalia van Solms, An Art-Historical Biography ........................................... 12 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 12 Part I - Elizabeth Stuart ................................................................................................. 16 Heidelberg ................................................................................................................. 16 Prague ....................................................................................................................... 19 The Hague ................................................................................................................. 21 Part II - Frederik Hendrik ............................................................................................. 27 Art Patronage and the House of Orange-Nassau ...................................................... 27 Courtship and Marriage ............................................................................................ 30 The Court of Frederik Hendrik and Amalia van Solms ............................................ 34 Paintings in the Stadhouder’s Quarters, 1632 ........................................................... 38 Part III - Constantijn Huygens ...................................................................................... 45 Honselaarsdijk........................................................................................................... 47 Huis ten Bosch .......................................................................................................... 51 The François Dieussart Commission ........................................................................ 54 Part IV - Marie de Medici ............................................................................................. 55 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 58 Chapter 2: The Utrecht Gift .............................................................................................. 62 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 62 Gift Theory.................................................................................................................... 63 A Gift of Paintings ........................................................................................................ 68 Utrecht Politics 1618-1627 ........................................................................................... 74 The Motive .................................................................................................................... 78 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 81 Chapter 3: The Allegorical Amalia ................................................................................... 83 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 83 Imagery of Power .......................................................................................................... 85 Flora/Charity ................................................................................................................. 88 Diana ............................................................................................................................. 93 Widowhood ................................................................................................................. 100 Artemisia ................................................................................................................. 102 Amalia’s last commissions ..................................................................................... 118 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 129 iv Chapter 4: ‘Une abondance extra ordinaire’ The Porcelain Collection of Amalia van Solms............................................................................................................................... 131 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 131 Brief History of Porcelain in Europe .......................................................................... 135 Amalia’s Collection ...................................................................................................