Artwork
Portrait of an Oriental Man
Portrait of an Oriental Man is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Arent de Gelder. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a male figure identified as an "Oriental Man," characterized by a turban and beard, which situates the subject within a broader European tradition of representing figures from the Near or Middle East during the 17th century.
The turban and facial hair function as key iconographic elements, signaling the sitter’s perceived cultural or ethnic identity rather than an individual likeness. Such attributes often carried associations with exoticism or scholarly contemplation in Dutch portraiture of the period, aligning with contemporaneous European fascination with the Ottoman world and its perceived cultural sophistication.
Technique & Style
Arent de Gelder executed the Portrait of an Oriental Man in 1660 using oil paint applied to a panel support. The work is classified as a tronie, a genre focusing on character studies rather than specific portraiture. Visually, the painting depicts a bearded man wearing a turban. The composition is relatively small, measuring 26 cm in height and 22 cm in width.
History & Provenance
While the piece is confirmed as part of the museum's holdings, the provided records do not specify a unique inventory or accession number for the artwork.
Portrait of an Oriental Man was created by Arent de Gelder in 1660, executed in oil paint on panel. The work entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Denmark, where it is currently held. No information is available regarding a commission, prior ownership, or intermediate provenance prior to its acquisition by the museum.
The painting measures 26 cm in height by 22 cm in width and is classified as a tronie, a Dutch genre depicting a character study rather than a commissioned likeness of a specific sitter.
Portrait of an Oriental Man is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen. The work, an oil painting on panel created in 1660, depicts a bearded man wearing a turban. While the piece is confirmed as part of the museum's holdings, the provided records do not specify a unique inventory or accession number for the artwork. Furthermore, no information regarding its exhibition history is available in the current sources.
Overview
Created in 1660, this oil portrait by Dutch painter Arent de Gelder belongs to the 17th‑century Dutch portrait tradition. The work shows a bearded man dressed in a turban, a gold‑trimmed shirt and a brown robe against a dark background, a composition that emphasizes the sitter’s face and attire.
Artist & collection
Artist
Aert de Gelder (Dutch:; October 26, 1645 – August 27, 1727) was a Dutch painter, the only Dutch artist to paint in the tradition of Rembrandt's late style into the 18th century.
