State portrait of Queen Juliana (1909-2004)

About this artwork.

The State Portrait of Queen Juliana from 1950 is a special painting because only a few painted portraits of Juliana are known, but the famous Ploeg painter Jan Altink (1885 – 1971) painted no fewer than three of them. Altink was requested to paint Juliana, presumably from the city council of Groningen. The former queen did not want to pose, but Altink was able to make a portrait of Juliana. Altink traveled to Soestdijk to make the portraits. There he met Juliana personally. Incidentally, the posing session was unexpected, according to letters from Altink. He writes how he went to visit Juliana to portray her, but left before he could even start. Altink had to paint the portrait from photographs. Nevertheless, he was able to make beautiful portraits depicting Juliana in the ermine cloak she wore at the inauguration in 1948.

Altink used oil paint that he applied to the artwork with very thick strokes or blobs. It reinforces the structure and has achieved a realistic effect so that the ermine mantle and rings really lie on top of the painting.

Three variants of this portrait are known. The copy that hangs in the Groningen City Hall appears to be almost identical to the painting that was donated to Loo Palace by the SNS Bank. One remarkable difference: on the municipal painting Juliana wears no gloves, in the other painting she wears blue gloves. The jewels are beautifully painted, but painting hands was less easy for him. Hence the gloves on the other work. The third state portrait made by Altink is in the possession of the Province of Groningen. This painting was also made in 1950, but the queen was not depicted en face, but en profile (from the side).

The Jan Altinkstraat, named after Jan Altink, can be found in Ten Boer.

Facts & Figures.

• Artist(s)
  Jan Altink

• Year of creation
  1950

• Dimensions (in cm)
  128x88

• Collection
  Town Hall Collection

• Technic
  Oil paint on canvas