The prize was established by King William III as the ‘Royal Grant for
Painting’ in 1871. After King William III came Queen Emma, Queen Wilhelmina,
Queen Juliana and Queen Beatrix who turned the Award into a tradition of royal
interest in painting. Since 2013, King Willem-Alexander has continued with this
tradition.
The Royal Award for Modern Painting
Functionalities
The Royal Award is intended to encourage the work of young, talented
painters active in the Netherlands. This prize is annually presented in autumn
at the Royal Palace Amsterdam. On the same occasion, the King opens an
exhibition of winning the artworks and a selection of paintings by other
contenders.