Artwork
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of a Man is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Abraham de Vries. It dates from 1643 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The Portrait of a Man by Abraham de Vries is an oil painting executed on a wooden panel, a support noted in the object’s material description.
The Portrait of a Man by Abraham de Vries is an oil painting executed on a wooden panel, a support noted in the object’s material description. The work, dated 1643, measures 64.1 cm in height by 53.3 cm in width and was created using oil paint, as recorded in the contemporary catalogue entry. It depicts a solitary male sitter and belongs to the portrait genre.
The painting is presently held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which lists William T. Blodgett as its former owner. No specific information regarding its present condition or handling history is provided in the source material.
History & Provenance
Portrait of a Man was painted by Abraham de Vries in 1643, executed in oil on panel. The earliest documented owner in its provenance is William T. Blodgett, who held the work before it entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, where it remains held today. No further details regarding commission, intermediate ownership, or acquisition circumstances are recorded in the available documentation.
The portrait is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is inventoried as accession number 14.40.611. It entered the collection in 1888 as a gift of William T. Blodgett. The work has been exhibited at the museum as part of its permanent collection displays, including in the galleries devoted to seventeenth-century Dutch and Flemish paintings.
Overview
Abraham de Vries, a prominent Dutch painter, completed Portrait of a Man in 1643 using oil paint. This work exemplifies the artist's specialization in portraiture, a genre he pursued throughout his career. The painting is now part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, representing a significant example of 17th-century Dutch art.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a man gazing directly forward, his mouth slightly ajar, suggesting a moment of contemplation or address. He is depicted with a small beard and a thin mustache, complementing his curly brown hair that reaches his shoulders. Dressed in a dark garment with a distinctive white folded collar, the sitter's formal attire underscores the conventional presentation of individuals in 17th-century portraiture.
Context
Created during the Dutch Golden Age in 1643, this portrait reflects a period of significant artistic and cultural development in the Dutch Republic. Abraham de Vries was a highly regarded portrait painter whose travels across France, Antwerp, and his native Netherlands informed his diverse stylistic approach. His ability to capture individual likenesses made him a sought-after artist in this flourishing environment.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Abraham de Vries (c. 1590 – 1649 or 1650) was a Dutch painter who was one of the leading portraitists of his age. As he led a peripatetic lifestyle and worked in France, Antwerp and the Dutch Republic his stylistic…
- Portrait of a Man
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