Artwork
Portrait of Paulus Potter
Portrait of Paulus Potter is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Bartholomeus van der Helst. It dates from 1654 and is held in the collection of the Mauritshuis.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
He is depicted with red hair and a moustache, the attributes that distinguish him as a specific individual rather than a generic sitter.
The painting is a waist-length portrait of Paulus Potter, the Dutch painter, shown seated in a chair with a visible backrest. He is depicted with red hair and a moustache, the attributes that distinguish him as a specific individual rather than a generic sitter. Potter is shown holding a palette and paintbrush, with a canvas mounted on an easel beside him, identifying him through the tools of his profession as a working artist.
The combination of the sitter's identifying physical features with the instruments of painting makes the portrait function simultaneously as a likeness and as a statement of professional identity, presenting Potter as a practitioner of his craft rather than as a patron or aristocrat.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1654, this waist-length portrait is rendered in oil paint on a canvas support measuring 99 by 80 centimeters. The composition depicts the painter Paulus Potter seated with a moustache and red hair, positioned before an easel and painting support. Potter holds a palette and paintbrush, attributes that identify his profession, while resting against a chair backrest.
The work functions as a formal representation of the artist within his studio environment, capturing specific details of his appearance and tools of trade.
History & Provenance
The Portrait of Paulus Potter was created in 1654 by the Dutch artist Bartholomeus van der Helst. Executed in oil paint on canvas, the work measures 99 cm in height and 80 cm in width. The painting depicts the artist Paulus Potter seated, waist-length, with red hair and a moustache, holding a palette and paintbrush beside an easel. The work is currently held in the collection of the Mauritshuis.
Overview
Bartholomeus van der Helst painted this portrait in 1654, depicting the younger Dutch artist Paulus Potter. Executed in oil on canvas, the work belongs to the Dutch Golden Age and is now part of the Mauritshuis collection in The Hague. The composition presents Potter seated, turned slightly, with a chair and an unseen canvas suggested behind him.
Context
The work illustrates the 17th‑century Dutch practice of portraying fellow artists, emphasizing professional identity through studio accessories. Van der Helst, known for elegant portraiture, captures Potter at a time when both painters were active in Amsterdam’s vibrant artistic market, highlighting the interconnected networks of the period.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Bartholomeus van der Helst (1613 – buried 16 December 1670) was a Dutch painter. Considered to be one of the leading portrait painters of the Dutch Golden Age, his elegant portraits gained him the patronage of…
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