Artwork
Portrait of a Man with a Watch
Portrait of a Man with a Watch is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Cornelius Janson van Ceulen the Younger. It dates from 1657 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
5 cm and depicts a man in mid‑step, rendered with the fine brushwork and subtle chiaroscuro characteristic of Dutch Golden Age portraiture.
The work is an oil painting on canvas dated 1657, created by Cornelius Janson van Ceulen the Younger. According to the catalog entry, the portrait measures 83.8 cm by 70.5 cm and depicts a man in mid‑step, rendered with the fine brushwork and subtle chiaroscuro characteristic of Dutch Golden Age portraiture. The painting’s surface retains its original oil medium, and the canvas support has been preserved without major alteration.
It has been part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection since its acquisition, where it is displayed as a representative example of 17th‑century portraiture.
History & Provenance
The painting known as Portrait of a Man with a Watch was created in 1657 by the artist Cornelius Janson van Ceulen the Younger. Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures 83.8 by 70.5 centimeters and depicts a man in a walking pose. While the specific circumstances of its initial commission and the identity of the original patron are not detailed in the available records, the piece was produced during the mid-17th century.
The artwork is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The creation date is consistently recorded as 1657 across available documentation, establishing its place within the artist's mature period of portraiture.
Portrait of a Man with a Watch, painted by Cornelius Janson van Ceulen the Younger in 1657, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is recorded as part of the museum's holdings. The work is catalogued on Wikidata as belonging to that institution. The painting, executed in oil on canvas, measures 83.8 cm in height and 70.5 cm in width. No specific accession number or detailed exhibition history is provided in the available sources.
Context
Portrait of a Man with a Watch (1657) exemplifies mid‑17th‑century Dutch portraiture through its realistic rendering and modest scale (83.8 × 70.5 cm) in oil on canvas. The work, attributed to Cornelius Janson van Ceulen the Younger, reflects the artist’s focus on individual likeness within the broader tradition of Dutch Golden Age portraiture, a genre documented in contemporary classifications as portrait. Its inclusion in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection underscores scholarly recognition of its historical significance and technical competence.
Examination of the painting’s provenance and material details contributes to ongoing research on the development of portrait conventions in the Netherlands during the 1600s.
Overview
Painted in 1657 by Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen the Younger, Portrait of a Man with a Watch is an oil-on-canvas work from the Dutch Golden Age. This painting captures an unidentified man, rendered with the characteristic precision of the era. The artist, born in London, later established himself in Utrecht, where he likely received his artistic training. The artwork is now part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait presents a serious-faced man, distinguished by a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He is depicted in a dark robe, seated with one hand resting on a cushion. His other hand prominently displays a small watch, fastened to his wrist with a ribbon.
In the 17th century, such a timepiece was a relatively new and costly possession, signaling the sitter's potential wealth or social standing.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Cornelius Janson van Ceulen the Younger
Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen the Younger (1634–1715), was an English painter active in the Dutch Republic.
