Artwork
A Scholar in his Study
A Scholar in his Study is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Cornelis van Haarlem. It dates from 1606 and is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Cornelis van Haarlem's 1606 oil painting, A Scholar in his Study, presents a portrait of a man situated within a domestic intellectual environment.
Cornelis van Haarlem's 1606 oil painting, A Scholar in his Study, presents a portrait of a man situated within a domestic intellectual environment. The composition depicts the subject seated at a desk, surrounded by books that signify his engagement with learning and literature. These elements of the study, including the desk and the textual materials, serve as the primary iconographic markers defining the figure's identity as a scholar.
The work functions as a representation of the contemplative life, using the setting and props to convey the sitter's dedication to academic pursuits rather than merely recording his physical likeness.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1606, this portrait utilizes oil paint applied to a wooden panel support. The work measures 38.9 cm in height and 26.0 cm in width. Stylistically, the composition focuses on a solitary male figure situated within a study environment, surrounded by objects such as books and a desk that define the genre.
The handling of the medium creates a detailed representation of the scholar and his immediate surroundings, consistent with early seventeenth-century portraiture.
History & Provenance
Cornelis van Haarlem's A Scholar in his Study is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The work was acquired by the museum through purchase in 1956 and is cataloged under the accession number WA1955.28.
The painting, executed in oil on panel, measures 38.9 cm in height and 26 cm in width. It depicts a man in a study setting surrounded by books and a desk, consistent with the portrait genre. The artwork is dated to 1605–1606.
Overview
A Scholar in his Study is an oil painting created in 1606 by Cornelis van Haarlem, a prominent Northern Mannerist painter in the Netherlands during the Dutch Golden Age.
Context
The painting embodies the Dutch Golden Age's emphasis on intellectual pursuits and artistic refinement. It provides a glimpse into the working environment of scholars during this period, emphasizing the centrality of books and quiet, focused study.
Artist & collection
Artist
Cornelis Corneliszoon van Haarlem (Dutch:; 1562 – 11 November 1638) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and draughtsman, one of the leading Northern Mannerist artists in the Netherlands, and an important forerunner of Frans Hals as a…
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