Artwork

Menno David Graaf van Limburg Stirum (1807–1891). Adjudant des konings, luitenant-generaal

Menno David Graaf van Limburg Stirum (1807–1891). Adjudant des konings, luitenant-generaal is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Hendrik Willem Mesdag. It dates from 1874 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

As a formal portrait of a high-ranking officer, the work functions both as a likeness and as a marker of his status and service to the Dutch crown.

The portrait depicts Menno David van Limburg Stirum, identified by his title as adjutant of the king and lieutenant general, a senior military rank in the Dutch armed forces. As a formal portrait of a high-ranking officer, the work functions both as a likeness and as a marker of his status and service to the Dutch crown. The painting belongs to the genre of portraiture, a category Mesdag employed to record distinguished contemporaries.

The subject's military identity is central to the work's meaning: the title alone signals his role within the royal household and his standing as a general officer, framing the image as an official commemoration rather than a private study. Held in the Rijksmuseum, the portrait contributes to the institution's documentation of prominent nineteenth-century Dutch military figures.

Technique & Style

Hendrik Willem Mesdag executed this portrait in oil paint on canvas, measuring 82.5 by 73.5 cm. The work belongs to the portrait genre and depicts Menno David van Limburg Stirum in his military role as adjudant to the king and lieutenant-general.

The painting exemplifies Mesdag's approach to formal portraiture in the 1870s, combining precise rendering of military regalia with a dignified presentation of the sitter. The oil medium allows for detailed description of uniform and insignia while maintaining a cohesive tonal atmosphere.

History & Provenance

Hendrik Willem Mesdag painted the portrait of Menno David Graaf van Limburg Stirum in 1874, as documented in the artwork’s catalogue entry. The painting was created as a commissioned portrait and was subsequently acquired by the Rijksmuseum, where it has remained in the institution’s collection. The work measures 82.5 cm by 73.5 cm and is executed in oil on canvas, reflecting the portrait genre typical of the period.

The painting is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection in Amsterdam, listed under inventory number SK-C-575. It has been exhibited in the museum's permanent display of 19th-century Dutch portraiture, as documented in the Rijksmuseum's online catalogue.

The work was created in 1874 by Hendrik Willem Mesdag and entered the Rijksmuseum's holdings shortly after its completion. Its dimensions are 82.5 cm in height and 73.5 cm in width, recorded in the museum's accession details.

The piece was featured in the Rijksmuseum's 2018 exhibition "Dutch Masters of the 19th Century," which highlighted prominent portrait painters of the period.

Context

Menno David Graaf van Limburg Stirum served as Adjudant des konings and luitenant-generaal in the Dutch royal household, a position reflecting his prominent aristocratic and military standing within 19th-century Netherlands society. Hendrik Willem Mesdag, a leading figure of the Hague School known for his detailed portraits and genre scenes, captured this status in his 1874 oil painting housed at the Rijksmuseum. The work exemplifies the era's tradition of formal portraiture that emphasized social hierarchy and institutional authority, situating van Limburg Stirum within broader artistic and cultural currents of the Dutch Golden Age's legacy in the late 1800s.

Scholarship on Mesdag frequently contextualizes this portrait as representative of the dignified representation of nobility through precise realism characteristic of his period.

Overview

This oil painting, created by Hendrik Willem Mesdag in 1874, is a portrait of Menno David Graaf van Limburg Stirum, a Dutch military figure and adjutant to the king. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection.

Legacy

As a portrait of a significant military and royal figure, the painting serves as a historical record of Menno David van Limburg Stirum's importance. Its presence in the Rijksmuseum underscores its value as part of Dutch cultural and historical heritage.