Artwork
Portrait of Pieter de Graeff (1638-1707), lord of Zuid-Polsbroek, Purmerland, and Ilpendam. Alderman of Amsterdam
Portrait of Pieter de Graeff (1638-1707), lord of Zuid-Polsbroek, Purmerland, and Ilpendam. Alderman of Amsterdam is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Caspar Netscher. It dates from 1663 and is held in the collection of the Munich Central Collecting Point.
About this work
Technique & Style
The Portrait of Pieter de Graeff is executed in oil paint on a panel support. Created in 1663 by Caspar Netscher, the work measures 51 cm in height and 36 cm in width. As a portrait classification, the piece adheres to the formal conventions of 17th-century Dutch portraiture, utilizing the medium of oil to render the sitter's likeness on a rigid wooden base.
History & Provenance
The portrait of Pieter de Graeff was executed in 1663 by the Dutch painter Caspar Netscher, who rendered the sitter in oil on panel.
The portrait of Pieter de Graeff was executed in 1663 by the Dutch painter Caspar Netscher, who rendered the sitter in oil on panel. After its completion the work entered a series of institutional and private holdings: it was later owned by the Stichting Nederlands Kunstbezit and the Dienst Verspreide Rijkscollecties, then passed through the Munich Central Collecting Point and the Führermuseum during the wartime period, subsequently forming part of the Jacques Goudstikker collection in Amsterdam before being acquired by the Amsterdam Museum and finally accessioned to the Rijksmuseum, where it remains today.
Overview
Caspar Netscher’s 1663 oil portrait presents Pieter de Graeff, a prominent 17th‑century Dutch nobleman and Amsterdam alderman. Rendered on canvas, the work measures a modest size typical of private commissions and now belongs to the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter, Pieter de Graeff (1638–1707), is shown in formal attire, reflecting his status as lord of Zuid‑Polsbroek, Purmerland and Ilpendam. His composed, serious expression and the inclusion of a single black glove suggest a dignified, restrained self‑presentation common among members of the Dutch regent class.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Caspar Netscher was a Dutch painter. He was a master in depicting oriental rugs, silk and brocade and introduced an international style to the Northern Netherlands.
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