Artwork

Portrait of Willem van Outhoorn, Governor General of the Dutch East Indies

Portrait of Willem van Outhoorn, Governor General of the Dutch East Indies is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist David van der Plas. It dates from 1699 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting remains in the Rijksmuseum collection, where it is displayed as an example of 17th‑century portraiture depicting colonial administrators.

The portrait shows Willem van Outhoorn in his official capacity as Governor General of the Dutch East Indies, rendered in oil on canvas by David van der Plas in 1697. His pose and attire convey authority and the responsibilities of his role within the colonial administration, while the work functions as a formal record of a high‑ranking VOC official. The composition emphasizes his status through detailed clothing and insignia associated with the Dutch East India Company.

The painting remains in the Rijksmuseum collection, where it is displayed as an example of 17th‑century portraiture depicting colonial administrators.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1697 by David van der Plas, this portrait utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 33.5 cm in height and 24.5 cm in width, classifying it as a small-scale painting. As a formal portrait, the composition focuses on depicting Willem van Outhoorn, the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies.

The available records confirm the medium and physical dimensions but do not provide specific details regarding the artist's brushwork, the current condition of the paint layer, or distinct stylistic handling techniques.

History & Provenance

David van der Plas executed this oil-on-canvas portrait of Willem van Outhoorn, the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies, in 1697. The work measures 33.5 cm in height and 24.5 cm in width. Created during the late seventeenth century, the painting depicts its subject in the genre of portraiture. The artwork is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains located.

Context

David van der Plas painted this 1697 oil portrait of Willem van Outhoorn, then Governor General of the Dutch East Indies, for the Rijksmuseum collection. Contemporary scholarship situates the work within the artist's court portraiture practice, emphasizing its role in documenting colonial administrative authority. The painting's composition and execution reflect 17th-century Dutch portrait conventions while conveying the sitter's status through attire and posture.

Its placement in the Rijksmuseum underscores its significance as a visual record of Dutch East India Company governance.

Overview

David van der Plas executed this oil portrait in 1699, presenting Willem van Outhoorn, who served as Governor General of the Dutch East Indies. The canvas is part of the Rijksmuseum collection, where it remains on display. The work captures the official stature of the colonial administrator through a restrained, formal composition.