Artwork
Portrait of Cornelia Cornelisdr van Esch
Portrait of Cornelia Cornelisdr van Esch is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Cornelius van Poelenburgh. It dates from 1632 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
Produced in 1632 in Dordrecht, the work is classified as a portrait painting within the Rijksmuseum collection.
The portrait is executed in oil paint on a copper support, a smooth metal panel that allowed the artist to render fine detail with a polished, enamel-like surface. The small-scale format, measuring 15.8 cm in height by 12.8 cm in width, is characteristic of Dutch cabinet pictures intended for intimate viewing. Produced in 1632 in Dordrecht, the work is classified as a portrait painting within the Rijksmuseum collection.
History & Provenance
The painting was completed in 1632, as indicated by the date inscribed on the work. It was created by Cornelius van Poelenburgh in Dordrecht, where the artist was active during the early 17th century. The small copper support suggests it was intended as a cabinet picture, likely commissioned for private circulation among collectors or patrons.
The work entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains held today. Its presence in the museum’s holdings is documented with dimensions of 15.8 cm in height and 12.8 cm in width.
Portrait of Cornelia Cornelisdr van Esch is held at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It is catalogued under inventory number SK-A-1265. The work was displayed in the Rijksmuseum exhibition 'Golden Age Masterpieces' in 2007 and later featured in the traveling exhibition 'Dutch Masters: Paintings from the Rijksmuseum' in 2015.
Legacy
The painting's legacy is anchored in its status as an early 17th-century Dutch portrait in the Rijksmuseum collection, showcasing van Poelenburgh's technical innovation on copper support. Its precise depiction of Cornelia Cornelisdr van Esch informed later portraitists' approaches to aristocratic representation, particularly through its sophisticated handling of light on metal substrate. The work remains a reference point for studies of Dutch Golden Age portraiture within the museum's holdings.
Overview
Cornelius van Poelenburgh’s 1632 portrait of Cornelia Cornelisdr van Esch is a modestly sized work executed on a copper plate. The composition presents a young woman in a restrained pose, her gaze directed outward with a contemplative air. The painting belongs to the Dutch Golden Age and is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter, identified as Cornelia Cornelisdr van Esch, appears in a formal black dress trimmed with white lace and subtle gold detailing. Her hair is gathered in an up‑do, and a thin gold chain encircles her waist. The sober palette and her serious expression suggest a portrait intended to convey dignity and introspection rather than overt display.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Cornelis van Poelenburgh or Cornelis van Poelenburch (1594 – 12 August 1667), was a Dutch landscape painter and draughtsman.
