Artwork
Portrait of Willem Bilderdijk
Portrait of Willem Bilderdijk is an oil painting by the Neoclassicist artist Charles Howard Hodges. It dates from 1810 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The oil painting, executed in 1810, depicts the Dutch poet and scholar Willem Bilderdijk.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Painted by Charles Howard Hodges in 1810, the piece is classified as a portrait genre work executed in oil paint on canvas.
The work depicts the Dutch poet and scholar Willem Bilderdijk, who serves as the sole main subject of the composition. Painted by Charles Howard Hodges in 1810, the piece is classified as a portrait genre work executed in oil paint on canvas. As a straightforward likeness, the painting functions primarily to capture the physical appearance of the literary figure rather than to convey complex allegorical narratives or symbolic iconography.
The representation focuses entirely on the individual, presenting Bilderdijk as the central figure of the artwork without additional contextual elements described in the available records.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 79 centimeters in height by 63 centimeters in width. It portrays Willem Bilderdijk and was created in 1810. The painting is classified as a portrait and is part of the Rijksmuseum collection.
History & Provenance
Portrait of Willem Bilderdijk is an 1810 oil painting by Charles Howard Hodges, depicting the subject Willem Bilderdijk. It measures 79 cm in height and 63 cm in width and is part of the Rijksmuseum collection, accessioned under Rijksmuseum inventory numbers.
The work has been exhibited at the Rijksmuseum and is documented in its collection records.
It was created in 1810 and falls within the portrait genre.
Context
The 1810 portrait by Charles Howard Hodges depicts the Dutch writer Willem Bilderdijk, reflecting the era's emphasis on individual intellectual figures. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection in Amsterdam, underscoring its institutional significance and role in preserving Dutch Romantic portraiture. Scholarship often contextualizes this painting within Hodges' broader output and the cultural milieu of early 19th-century Netherlands, where portraiture served to commemorate influential thinkers.
Overview
The oil painting, executed in 1810, depicts the Dutch poet and scholar Willem Bilderdijk. Rendered by Charles Howard Hodges, an English artist who worked in the Netherlands during the turn of the 19th century, the work is a neoclassical portrait now part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Howard Hodges (1764 – 24 July 1837) was an English painter active in the Netherlands during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
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