Oskar Begas (1828-83) the youngest son of Karl Begas the Elder, displayed a remarkably precocious talent for painting as a child. At the age of twelve, with his father's encouragement, he drew and painted oil portraits of considerable quality. Having studied with Eduard Bendemann in Dresden, and at the academy in Berlin, he won a prize to stay for two years in Italy. In 1854 he returned to Berlin and spent nearly all his life there. He was made a professor of the Berlin academy in 1866, and a was awarded full membership in 1869.

Prince Frederick William of Prussia (1831-88), known affectionately as ‘Fritz’, was the only son of William I, King of Prussia, Emperor of Germany, and Augusta, daughter of Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. In 1858 he married Victoria, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Though a victorious commander in the Prussian War (1870 – 71), his liberal sympathies made his position at court in the following years difficult. He succeeded his father as Emperor in 1888, but ruled for only 98 days, before succumbing to throat cancer.

This is one of several versions of this portrait painted by Begas. He also produced a full-length portrait of the Crown Prince, dated 1867.
In this half-length portrait, the Crown Prince faces slightly to the right. He wears a dark blue military jacket with a red collar and braided shoulders; his decorations incude the star of the Order of the Garter; he has a brown beard with a moustache; blue-grey eyes; set against a dark brown background.