' Princess Henrietta Mary Stuart' Bartholomeus van der Helst. Dutch.( 1613-1670) Oil on canvas, circa 1652. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

This exceptionally fine painting by Bartholomeus van der Helst shows Mary Henrietta Stuart , the English princess who was the spouse of William the 11, Prince of Orange and Count of Nassau. The couple married in 1641, at the age of only ten and fourteen years old respectively. For that occasion , they were portrayed holding hands by (the studio of) Antony van Dyck. The Van der Helst portrait shows Mary in a completely changed situation: it is now 1652 and Mary is twenty-one years old. William became Stadtholder (a hereditary head of state) of the Dutch Republic of the United Provinces in 1647, but died only three years later, of smallpox, or as rumour went, of poison. Thus,the Mary portrayed here is a young widow, as indicated by the black curtains in the background. The painter filled the painting with many references to aspects of Mary Stuarts life. The orange she holds in her hand , for example, refers to her status as Princess of Orange, while the buildings in the background are in the Hague, the Dutch centre of power and the residence of the Stadtholder. Bartholomeus van der Helst (1613-1670) was probably the most sought after portrait painter of his day , even more famous than Hals and Rembrandt. He was particularly praised for his ability to depict textures and fine details.