Van Bree, Matthias Ignace

Van Bree, Matthias Ignace

VAN BREE, Mathieu Ignace (follower of) Portrait of the young William (?), prince of Orange. Ca. 1841 Drawing, black and red chalk, 38,5 x 30,5 cm, velin paper, signed in pencil at lower right "M. Van Bree" (some foxing and stains, sm. tears in upper and right edges, not affecting the image). Portrait of a young boy ("dessiné d'après nature"), identified on the sheet as the son of William III, Prince of Orange and King of the Netherlands. William married his cousin Sophie of Württemberg in 1839 and they had three sons, William, Maurice, and Alexander, all of whom predeceased him. Although the drawing has been signed "M. Van Bree", this seems implausible since all of William III's sons were born shortly after Matthieu van Bree's death in 1839.