News report | 13-01-2026 | 14:55

His Majesty the King will present the Royal Prize for Fine Arts Painting 2026 on Tuesday afternoon, February 3, at the Royal Palace Amsterdam. Three young artists will be honored and receive this encouragement prize, including an amount of 9,000 euros. After the presentation, the King will open the exhibition where works by the winners and nominees can be seen.

For the 155th edition of the Royal Prize for Fine Arts Painting, 334 artists submitted their work. The jury, led by Mirjam Westen, nominated fifteen promising artists: Vicente Baeza, Elma 010cav010di0107, Anthony Chiou, Sofiia Dubyna, Gideon van Gameren, Safae Gounane, Lorian Gwynn, Gvantsa Jgushia, Nazif Lopulissa, Samuel Mackiewicz, Jochem Mestriner, Christin Mussa, Ada Maricia Patterson, Dion Rosina, Thijs Segers. Although the works of these fifteen nominees cannot be captured in one style or message, the jury noticed one thing: the majority of the entrants create work that is fueled by the inner experiential world or work that relates to the proximity of their own living environment.

The Royal Prize was established in 1871 by King William III as the Royal Subsidy for Fine Arts Painting. After King William III, the Royal Prize was awarded by Regent Queen Emma and all successive heads of state. King Willem-Alexander has continued this tradition since 2013. The prize is intended to provide young, talented painters a platform and encourage them in their work as artists. Visual artists working in the Netherlands up to 35 years old can compete for the prize.

The exhibition at the Royal Palace Amsterdam is open to the public from February 4 to March 29. Each year, a public prize is also awarded. Visitors to the exhibition can indicate a preference for one of the exhibited works. The painting with the most votes will be raffled among visitors who expressed a preference for this artwork.

RVD, no. 9