Isaac Israels travelled to the Dutch East Indies in 1921, where he painted this portrait of Mankoenegara VII, head of one of two dynasties in Solo, Central Java. The prince’s pose is stately and benign. His posture and expression emanate authority. His clothing also indicates his regal status; the blue fabric symbolizes wealth. A servant stands behind the prince to his left. The interior of the Javan palace is portrayed in rapid brushstrokes. This sketch-like style is unusual in a royal portrait; until then a more detailed technique was common. Despite the quick strokes, which are typical of Israels, he put a lot more work into this painting than one would expect. He usually painted his canvasses in one sitting but he would not be satisfied with the portrait of Mankoenegara VII until the third attempt. These difficulties did not affect the painting’s quality: on the contrary, the painting is one of Israels’ most successful portraits. It forms part of a large collection of drawings, prints and paintings by the artist at the Frans Hals Museum.