Artwork

Portrait of Marcus Zuërius van Boxhorn, Historian and Professor at Leiden

Portrait of Marcus Zuërius van Boxhorn, Historian and Professor at Leiden 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

The use of a tin medium for the portrait is also noteworthy, as it was not a common material for artwork during this time period.

This portrait features a man with long, dark hair and a mustache, wearing a black jacket with a white collar. The subject is depicted in a formal, oval frame with a gold border, which is adorned with a leaf pattern. The background of the portrait is a solid gray color.

The man's attire and hairstyle suggest that the portrait was created during the 18th century. The use of a tin medium for the portrait is also noteworthy, as it was not a common material for artwork during this time period.

If you're interested in learning more about the artist who created this portrait, you might want to look up Arnoud van Halen.

Subject & Meaning

The portrait depicts Marcus Zuerius van Boxhorn, a historian and professor at Leiden, presented as the principal subject of the work. As a commemorative likeness, the painting represents van Boxhorn's standing as a scholarly figure associated with the University of Leiden, with the small-scale tin support serving as an intimate format suited to a personal or private tribute rather than a grand public monument.

The work functions as a record of the sitter's identity and intellectual legacy, preserving his likeness for posterity. Because the surviving sources document only the basic identification of the sitter and the painting's status as a portrait, no further iconographic attributes or symbolic elements, such as attributes of learning, inscriptions, or emblems, are attested in the available evidence.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1716 by Arnoud van Halen, this portrait utilizes oil paint applied to a tin support. The work is classified as a painting within the portrait genre, depicting the historian Marcus Zuërius van Boxhorn. The physical dimensions of the piece are recorded as 11 cm in height and 9.5 cm in width.

The combination of oil medium with a metallic tin substrate distinguishes its material composition from more traditional canvas or panel supports common to the period.

History & Provenance

Arnoud van Halen painted this portrait in 1716, depicting Marcus Zuërius van Boxhorn, a historian and professor at Leiden. The work was created using oil paint on tin, measuring 11 by 9.5 cm. The painting was owned by Arnoud van Halen and subsequently by Michiel de Roode before entering the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains today.

Overview

Arnoud van Halen’s 1716 portrait presents the Dutch scholar Marcus Zuerius van Boxhorn, a noted historian and professor at Leiden University. Executed on a tin panel, the work measures a modest size and is framed in an oval shape edged with a gilded leaf motif. The figure is set against a uniform gray backdrop, emphasizing his dignified presence.