Home | Press releases | Press release exhibition 'Juliana'

Exhibition 'Juliana' in Paleis Het Loo (The Loo Palace)

Exhibition 'Juliana'

The Loo Palace National Museum, shows four portraits of the Queen, painted by Sierk Schröder.

The year 2009 is the 100th birthday of Queen Juliana. On this occasion the double exhibition 'Juliana' is held in The Loo Palace. The first part of the exhibition is dedicated to the exciting but also turbulent life of the princess and is titled 'Juliana, a walk through her life', the second part is titled 'Juliana portrayed'.

The portraits on display in The Loo Palace are three oil paintings:
'The queen in the gold dress' (1958),'The Queen in the silver dress' (1958), the portrait painted by order of the Rijksmuseum (National Museum), Amsterdam (1975). In addition there is a portrait in watercolour, commissioned by Elsevier Magazine and pictured on the Magazine's cover, dated April 28, 1979, to mark the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty.

Stamps:
Also exhibited are the designs Sierk Schröder made for the jubilee stamp 'Juliana and Bernhard' on the occasion of their Silver wedding.

Queen Juliana and Sierk Schröder

Sierk Schröder quite often painted the Queen's portrait. Official portrait commissions were given to do so. He also painted several private portraits of her, including a portrait at the request of her mother in 1949.
Most of the portraits were made in the old wooden studio in Wassenaar where the Queen often posed for the painter. The Queen and Sierk Schröder much respected each other, there was a mutual sympathy. Her Majesty surprised Sierk Schröder with 70 white roses for his 70th birthday.

Portrait of Queen Juliana, oil, 100x80cms, signed '75

In 1963 Sierk Schröder stayed in Her Majesty's company for some time. That happened during the royal visit of the Queen and Prince Bernhard - Princess Beatrix was present also - to the Shah and Farah Diba. Sierk Schröder was requested by the Queen to paint the portrait of the young Shah Reza in the Tehran Palace. About that period, from 3 to 13 October Sierk Schröder daily writes a fascinating report, always sent as a letter to his dear wife Mieke. In the first letter he states that the reports may be read by others.

On 13 October, the portrait was presented to the Shah and Farah Diba during an intimate dinner. During the party afterwards as Sierk Schröder writes, he danced the waltz with the Queen, with Princess Beatrix and finally with Farah Diba. They all were delighted with the portrait.

A special painting on which Queen Juliana is pictured as the central figure is known as the Sovereignty Delegation to Indonesia, painted in 1949. She made the proposal to the Government to request Sierk Schröder to make this painting. The painting shows the Queen, our Prime Minister Willem Drees and his Indonesian counterpart Dr. Mohammed Hatta putting their signatures on the Delegation Act during a solemn meeting in the 'Burgerzaal' (Citizen's Hall) of the Royal Palace. The large painting hangs in the Royal Palace, Amsterdam, and is owned by the government, but on loan to the royal family.

Portraits of Queen Juliana, painted by Sierk Schröder hang, among other things in De Tweede Kamer der Staten Generaal (the House of Commons), in the building of De Raad van State (the Council of State), in the City Hall of The Hague, in the building of the Carpenters Guild, London (Queen Juliana was patroness. The portrait was presented in 1959 in the presence of the Lord Mayor of London).

The Queen has never sat long for a portrait. Preliminary studies were not made. Sierk Schröder knew her movements, her characteristic postures. He was quite able to imagine what the portrait would look like. Moreover Sierk Schröder was a convinced 'alla prima' painter, meaning that the portrait is painted quickly and finished before the paint dries. This technique is called 'wet on wet': eye and hand are one.

Although the exhibition is fully dedicated to Queen Juliana it may be noted that Sierk Schröder painted members from four generations of the Royal Family. For portraits of members of the Royal Family: click here