Portrait Friedrich Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg (1620-1688)

Portrait of Friedrich Wilhelm. The “Great Elector” is shown here as an almost half figure to the left. His gaze is directed towards the viewer. He presents himself here with full, long hair and mustache. From his clothes you can only recognize a cone-shaped cloak of Hermelinfell, above it a pointed collar, among them another cloak and something that looks like an armor, a chest armor. To the left behind him you can see a crown, to the right behind it a wall with a painting. The effigy is framed by a segemental bow that we have a window. This is followed by the five-line Latin inscription. Friedrich Wilhelm was a Margrave of Brandenburg since 1640, Archchambered and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke in Prussia, Pomerania and Kleve, and Prince in Minden and Halberstadt. He was also granted the right to the Archbishopric of Magdeburg. In 1675 he was given the nickname of the “Great Elector.” It is not entirely clear whether the signature is the engraver or publisher of the image: "Antverpiae apud Petr. de Iode."In the German National Library Pieter de Jode (1606-1674), who works in Antwerp, is designated as both. He certainly took the template from a double portrait of the Dutch painter Gerrit van Honthorst (1592-1656). In about 1647 he created a painting with Friedrich Wilhelm and his wife, Louise Henriette (1627-1667), which is now in the Mauritshuis in The Hague. The leaf here is a sideways section of the head of the monarch, who summoned the painter Honthorst and many others to the farm. The Händel-haus Foundation has another portrait of the depicted, which is a varinate to the present object: BS-III 405. Signature: Antverpiae apud Petr. de Iode. Caption: Fridericus Guiliemus Dei Grat. Marchio Brandenburgensis, Sac. Rome. Imp. Archi-camerarius etc elector in Prussia, Dux Iuliae, Cliviae, Montium, Stetini, Pomeraniae, Cassubiorum, Vandalorum, nec non in Silesia Crosniae, et Cainoviae; Burggr. Norimb. Princ. Rugiae, Com. Marcae et Ravensb. Dns in Ravenstein. Watermark: present, in the middle motif: sign. (Stiftung Händel-Haus Halle Foundation)