Artwork
Portrait of Everard Meyster, Poet in Utrecht

Portrait of Everard Meyster, Poet in Utrecht is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Arnoud van Halen. It dates from 1716 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
If you're interested in learning more about this style of painting, you might want to look into the work of artist Arnoud van Halen.
This portrait is painted on a tin plate and features a man with long, dark hair and a mustache. He is dressed in a dark robe with a white collar and a light blue sash. The background of the painting is a solid gray color.
The man's attire and the style of the painting suggest that it was created in the early 18th century. The use of tin as a medium is also notable, as it was not a common material for paintings during this time period.
If you're interested in learning more about this style of painting, you might want to look into the work of artist Arnoud van Halen.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait shows Everard Meyster, a Utrecht poet, rendered in oil on tin. Van Halen emphasizes the sitter’s scholarly demeanor through his upright posture and the parchment he holds, symbolizing literary activity. The work belongs to the portrait genre and was created in 1716, reflecting the cultural prominence of poets in the Dutch Republic.
Technique & Style
Arnoud van Halen painted this portrait in oil on tin, an unusual support that provides an exceptionally smooth, rigid surface. The small dimensions, 11 by 9.5 cm, suggest an intimate, portable format typical of miniature or pocket portraits of the era. The oil-on-tin technique allows for fine detail and a luminous, enamel-like finish without the texture of canvas weave.
As a portrait of a specific, identified sitter, the work follows Dutch Golden Age conventions of individual commemoration, rendered with the precision that tin supports facilitate.
History & Provenance
Portrait of Everard Meyster, Poet in Utrecht is an oil on tin portrait painted in 1716 by Arnoud van Halen. The work entered the collection of Michiel de Roode before being acquired by the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display. The painting depicts the Utrecht poet Everard Meyster and measures 11 centimeters in height by 9.5 centimeters in width.
The portrait is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, as recorded in its Wikidata entry. Earlier ownership is attributed to the painter Arnoud van Halen and to Michiel de Roode, indicating a chain of provenance prior to its accession by the museum. No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available sources.
No exhibition history is documented in the sources consulted.
Overview
Arnoud van Halen's Portrait of Everard Meyster, Poet in Utrecht, dated 1716, is a unique tin plate painting housed at the Rijksmuseum. It portrays a man identified as Everard Meyster, distinguished by his long, dark hair, mustache, and attire characteristic of the early 18th century.
Context
The use of tin as a painting medium, though unusual, may indicate the artist's experimentation or the sitter's preferences. The portrait reflects the intersection of artistic and literary cultures in early 18th-century Utrecht.
Legacy
While specific impacts of the portrait on broader art historical trends are not widely documented, it remains a distinctive example of early 18th-century Dutch portraiture and the work of Arnoud van Halen, offering insights into the era's lesser-known artistic practices.
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