Portrait of Pieter Frederik van Os, Painter

Anton Mauve painted this portrait in 1855, depicting the sitter as a man in a profile pose. The work, an oil painting on panel measuring 20.8 cm by 17.4 cm, belongs to the portrait genre and was created in the Netherlands. It is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection and was featured in the exhibition The 19th century at its best: the Rijksmuseum on the Merwede, which highlighted 19th-century artistic achievements.

Scholarship situates the portrait within Mauve's realist tradition, emphasizing his focus on contemporary subjects and meticulous attention to detail. Its inclusion in a major institutional exhibition underscores its recognized significance within 19th-century Dutch portraiture and the broader context of European genre painting.

Created in 1855, the oil portrait by Anton Mauve presents the Dutch painter Pieter Frederik van Os in a restrained, realist manner. Executed on a modestly sized canvas, the work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s holdings and bears the artist’s characteristic monogram. Its composition isolates the sitter against a dark, unadorned backdrop, directing attention to his profile and the subtle play of light on his features.

Signed only with Mauve’s monogram, the painting was produced early in his career, before his later association with the more luminous works of the Hague School. It later entered the Rijksmuseum collection, where it remains on display. The portrait is noted for its familial connection to Vincent van Gogh, who was Mauve’s cousin‑in‑law and was influenced by his uncle’s approach to realism.