Where can I see Portrait of Petrus Bertius, Professor at Leiden?

Portrait of Petrus Bertius, Professor at Leiden is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Portrait of Petrus Bertius, Professor at Leiden?

Portrait of Petrus Bertius, Professor at Leiden is associated with Rococo painting.

Can I buy a print of Portrait of Petrus Bertius, Professor at Leiden?

Museum-quality prints of Portrait of Petrus Bertius, Professor at Leiden are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Portrait of Petrus Bertius, Professor at Leiden

Arnoud van Halen , 1716

Portrait of Petrus Bertius, 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

Subject & Meaning

The significance of the work lies in this act of visual memorialization of Bertius as a learned subject.

The portrait depicts Petrus Bertius, identified as a professor at Leiden. Bertius is the named main subject of the work, and the painting belongs to the genre of portraiture, a format that traditionally centers a single sitter as the focus of representation. Rendered on a small tin support, the work presents Bertius as an academic figure, with the sitter's identity and scholarly role forming the core of the image's meaning rather than any allegorical or symbolic program.

Given the modest scale and material, the portrait functions as an intimate commemorative likeness, preserving the appearance and status of a Leiden professor for posterity. The significance of the work lies in this act of visual memorialization of Bertius as a learned subject.

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 scholar Petrus Bertius. Physically, the piece is small in scale, measuring 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 works of the period.

History & Provenance

Created in 1716, this portrait depicts Petrus Bertius, a professor at Leiden. The work was executed by the artist Arnoud van Halen using oil paint on a tin support. Historical records indicate that the painting was owned by its creator, Arnoud van Halen, before passing into the collection of Michiel de Roode. The artwork is currently held by the Rijksmuseum.

The Portrait of Petrus Bertius, Professor at Leiden, is housed in the Rijksmuseum under inventory number SK-A-2834. It was originally owned by Arnoud van Halen and later by Michiel de Roode before entering the museum's collection. The work has been part of exhibitions focusing on 18th-century Dutch portraiture at the Rijksmuseum.

Context

Arnoud van Halen painted Portrait of Petrus Bertius, Professor at Leiden in 1716 using oil paint on tin, a work now held by the Rijksmuseum. The portrait depicts the Leiden University professor Petrus Bertius and measures 11 cm in height by 9.5 cm in width. It entered the collection of Arnoud van Halen and later Michiel de Roode before being acquired by the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display.

The painting is classified as a portrait and represents an example of 18th-century Dutch portraiture, reflecting the academic and civic prominence of figures like Bertius in Leiden during that period.

Overview

Arnoud van Halen’s 1716 portrait of Petrus Bertius, a professor at Leiden, is a modestly sized oval work executed on tin. The composition centers a solemn‑looking scholar, whose full beard, neatly arranged hair, and dark brown robe with a high collar convey his academic standing. A simple, unadorned background directs attention to the sitter’s face, while the overall image retains a slightly faded yet legible quality.