Artwork
Portrait of the painter Bonaventura Peeters I (1614-52)
Portrait of the painter Bonaventura Peeters I (1614-52) 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
History & Provenance
The provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for the piece, nor do they record any exhibition history for this specific portrait.
The work was painted in 1716 by Arnoud van Halen as an entry for his Pan Poëticon Batavum, a series of miniature portraits of Dutch artists.
It depicts Bonaventura Peeters the Elder and is executed on tin support with oil paint. The artist retained ownership, which later passed to Michiel de Roode, before entering the collection of the Rijksmuseum where it is currently located.
The portrait of Bonaventura Peeters the Elder, created by Arnoud van Halen in 1716, is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The work, which depicts the painter on a tin support using oil paint, measures 11 cm in height and 9.5 cm in width. It was originally part of the Pan Poëticon Batavum project.
The provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for the piece, nor do they record any exhibition history for this specific portrait.
Overview
Arnoud van Halen’s 1716 portrait of Bonaventura Peeters the Elder presents the 17th‑century marine painter in an oval tin panel. The work, now in the Rijksmuseum, shows Peeters in a dark brown coat with a white collar, his hands concealed in his sleeves, and a calm, forward‑looking gaze against an unadorned background.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter, Bonaventura Peeters I (1614‑1652), was a noted Flemish artist celebrated for his seascapes. Created more than three centuries after his death, the portrait functions as a commemorative image, honoring his artistic legacy rather than serving as a contemporary likeness.
Technique & Style
Executed on tin, the painting employs a restrained palette of browns and whites, emphasizing the sitter’s facial features and attire. An elaborate gilt border, resembling metalwork, frames the oval composition, adding a decorative, almost sculptural quality to the otherwise plain background.
Context
The portrait reflects a broader tradition in the Dutch Republic of memorializing artists through formal, idealized images. By the 1710s, Peeters’ marine scenes were well‑known, and van Halen’s depiction aligns with contemporary practices of honoring cultural figures with dignified, timeless representations.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
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