Artwork

Portrait of Fridericus Spanhemius, professor of Theology and Antiquities

Portrait of Fridericus Spanhemius, professor of Theology and Antiquities is an unspecified painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Gunst Pieter van. It is held in the collection of the Leiden University Libraries.

About this work

Overview

The work entitled Portrait of Fridericus Spanhemius, professor of Theology and Antiquities is an image that records a seated scholar surrounded by books and papers. The figure is rendered in period attire, suggesting a setting in an earlier era. A faint pencil numeral “350” appears in the lower right corner, indicating a cataloguing or inventory reference.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure is identified as Fridericus Spanhemius, a professor specializing in theology and antiquities. His pose at a writing desk, encircled by scholarly materials, conveys the intellectual pursuits and daily environment of an academic in his field, offering a visual document of scholarly life in his time.

Technique & Style

The image follows a composition after a painting by Moriaen, suggesting that the artist used an existing work as a model or reference. The rendering emphasizes realistic detail in the clothing and surrounding objects, while the pencil mark hints at later archival handling rather than original artistic intent.

History & Provenance

The piece is catalogued with the number 350, a notation likely added during a later inventory process. It is currently held by the Museum of Ethnography, where it forms part of the collection documenting academic portraiture.