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Original fileThe figure of Count William IV stands in profile, dressed as a medieval warrior with a fur-lined cloak and a tall, pointed helmet. He rests a massive sword across his right shoulder while holding a shield decorated with the rampant lions of Holland in his left hand. The image is part of a printed biographical work, accompanied by a Dutch text recounting his military exploits in Spain and Utrecht.
While primarily a genealogical and historical portrait, this work is a product of Hendrick Goltzius, the leading figure of the Haarlem Mannerists. This circle was deeply influenced by Neoplatonic and Hermetic ideas regarding the divine nature of the artist's 'hand' and the conceptualization of the heroic human form.
Drie ende dertigh iaren de Landen wijs- licken zo in Oorloge als vreede gheregeert hebbende/sterft hy int Jaer 1337 den zeven- den dagh in Julio/ende wert tot Valencijn met zonder groter rouwe aller zijner onder- zaten inde aarde ghezert. t'iaar 1338 De xx. Graef. reg. 8 iaren Willem de vierde des versep- den Graefs Willems zoone track in het eerste Jaar na dat hy Graef vande Nederlanden gheworden was met een gro- te menichte van Schepen ende een ghewel- dighen hoop van Soldaten na Spaengien om den Coninck (welcke lang tegen de Sa- racenen ende Turcken gheoorloght hadde) het rijck van Granate in te helpen nemen / alwaer hy den Koninck een oorzaeck van vele victorien verstreckte/waerover hy van de Spaengiaerde niet minder dan van zijn eyghen volck bemint werde. Daer na dapper beghifticht en heerlick beghaeft wederom in Hollant nederkomen de / stelde hy zich om zich over die van U- trecht (om dat zy hem onrecht ghedaen had den) te wreken/ende hy sloeghze uyt t'velt met twee strijden. Ten lesten quam hy met 14 Graven 52 Baroenen 1800 Ridderen en anderhalf hondert duysent Man haer stadt belegghen. Maer het werde ghedaengt/ en onder andere zekere accoorten ende verbin- tenissen mostender vijf hondert Burgheren bloot
Translation
Having wisely ruled the Lands for thirty-three years both in war and in peace/ he died in the year 1337 on the seventh day of July/ and was buried in the earth at Valenciennes amidst the great mourning of all his subjects. The year 1338 The 20th Count reigned 8 years William the fourth, son of the afore- mentioned Count William, traveled in the first year after he had become Count of the Netherlands with a great multitude of ships and a mighty host of soldiers to Spain to help the King (who had long waged war against the Saracens and Turks) to take the kingdom of Granada / where he provided the King with the cause of many victories, for which he was beloved by the Spaniards no less than by his own people. After having been bravely gifted and generously rewarded, upon returning to Holland, he set himself to avenge himself upon those of U- trecht (because they had done him wrong)/ and he struck them from the field in two battles. At last, he came with 14 Counts, 52 Barons, 1800 Knights, and one hundred and fifty thousand men to besiege their city. But it was quieted, and among other certain agreements and covenants, five hundred citizens had to be bare-
Karel van Mander
Van Mander, a contemporary and associate of Goltzius in Haarlem, chronicled the artist's life and the philosophical underpinnings of their Mannerist style in the Schilder-boeck.
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
silver (metal)
prent: hoogte 135 mm (binnen plaatrand afgesneden) x breedte 85 mm
portrait
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 1, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.