Artwork

Portret van Dominicus Baudius (1561-1613). Hoogleraar in de welsprekendheid, de geschiedenis en de rechten te Leiden

Portret van Dominicus Baudius (1561-1613). Hoogleraar in de welsprekendheid, de geschiedenis en de rechten te 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

Technique & Style

Arnoud van Halen employed a meticulous approach to capture the sitter’s scholarly presence, using fine brushwork to delineate facial features and period attire.

The portrait depicts Dominicus Baudius, a professor of eloquence, history, and law at Leiden University, rendered in oil paint on a tin support. The work measures 11 cm in height by 9.5 cm in width and dates to 1716. Arnoud van Halen employed a meticulous approach to capture the sitter’s scholarly presence, using fine brushwork to delineate facial features and period attire. The composition emphasizes formal dignity through restrained coloration and precise rendering of texture on the metal surface.

History & Provenance

The work was created in 1716 by Arnoud van Halen, commissioned as a portrait of Dominicus Baudius, who held the Leiden professorship in eloquence, history, and law. It was painted in tin and executed in oil, measuring 11 centimeters in height and 9.5 centimeters in width. The painting entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum and is now held in the depot of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection. Its creation is documented as occurring on 1716-01-01, reflecting the precise inception date recorded for the work.

Overview

Arnoud van Halen’s 1716 tin portrait presents Dominicus Baudius (1561‑1613), a former professor of rhetoric, history and law at Leiden. The work is an oval composition framed in dark wood, now part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.

Subject & Meaning

The sitter, Baudius, appears as a bearded scholar wearing a dark collar and a ruffled shirt, his expression rendered in subdued greens and browns. The portrait emphasizes his intellectual stature through a sober, dignified pose.

Context

In the early 18th century, Dutch portraiture often combined academic subjects with a modest aesthetic, reflecting the period’s shift toward personal commemoration rather than grandiose representation.