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Original fileWilliam is depicted three-quarter length in ornate parade armor, holding a commander's baton with his helmet resting nearby. The elaborate border features the Prince's coat of arms and four small vignettes: the Pillar of Fire, the Pillar of Cloud, Moses receiving the Law, and a kingfisher nesting on a stormy sea. A Latin poem at the bottom emphasizes his commitment to divine law and the protection of his people.
This print is a key example of political-religious iconography in the late 16th century, framing the leader of the Dutch Revolt as a second Moses guided by God. The use of the Hebrew Tetragrammaton and the Stoic 'Halcyon' emblem reflects the synthesis of Protestant theology and classical virtue (Constantia) characteristic of Northern Humanist circles.
IE MAINTIENDRAY יהוה Hac duce clarescit mihi nox יהוה Hac protegor umbra GVIL ELM. D. G. PR. AVRAICÆ COMES NASSAVIÆ, &c. ÆT. AN. XLVIII. Ao. CID. ID. LXXXI. Hæc mandata sequar Sævis tranquillus in undis. Goltzius fecit. Impia vis fremat: Hæc animo cura una sedebit, Intrepida Rex CHRISTE manu (dum vita superstes) Rite tuam ut possim per dura pericula legem, Commissum q. gregem, & patriæ pia iura tueri.
Translation
I WILL MAINTAIN יהוה With this guide the night grows bright for me יהוה By this shadow I am protected WILLIAM, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, PRINCE OF ORANGE, COUNT OF NASSAU, ETC. AGED 48 YEARS. IN THE YEAR 1581. I will follow these commands Tranquil in the savage waves. Goltzius made this. Let impious force rage: This one care shall remain in my soul, That with intrepid hand, O King CHRIST (while life survives), I may duly protect Thy law through harsh perils, And the flock committed to me, and the pious rights of the fatherland.
Justus Lipsius
The emblem 'Saevis tranquillus in undis' (Calm amidst the waves) is a primary visual expression of the Neo-Stoic virtue of 'Constantia' championed by Lipsius.
The Tetragrammaton
The use of the Hebrew name of God (יהוה) to represent divine guidance was a common feature in both Reformation theology and Christian Kabbalah of the period.
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
height 265 mm x width 181 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.