Artwork
Portrait of a man
Portrait of a man is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Herman Doncker. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Classified as a portrait, the work focuses on an individual sitter, with "man" identified as both the depicted subject and the main subject of the composition.
The painting depicts a man as its sole subject, with the figure rendered in oil on a small copper support measuring 32 by 28 centimetres. Classified as a portrait, the work focuses on an individual sitter, with "man" identified as both the depicted subject and the main subject of the composition. The modest scale and refined copper medium are characteristic of seventeenth-century Dutch portrait practice, where such intimate formats were often used to convey personal likeness and character rather than grand status.
Dated 1650, the portrait belongs to a tradition of small-scale likenesses that circulated among patrons and collectors. Held by the Rijksmuseum, the work contributes to the broader record of male portraiture produced during the Dutch Golden Age, when individual identity and personal presence were central themes in painted representation.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on a copper support, measuring 32 by 28 centimeters. It portrays a man in a style characteristic of mid-17th-century Dutch portraiture, rendered with fine detail and naturalistic lighting. The painting is cataloged in the Rijksmuseum collection and is attributed to Herman Doncker, who was active in Amsterdam during this period.
History & Provenance
The painting Portrait of a man by Herman Doncker was created in 1650 as an oil on copper work measuring 32 cm by 28 cm. It entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display. The work has been catalogued under the Rijksmuseum's records as part of its holdings of Dutch Golden Age paintings.
Herman Doncker's Portrait of a Man, dated 1650, is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The work is executed in oil on copper and measures 32 cm in height by 28 cm in width. While the painting is part of the museum's permanent holdings, the provided sources do not specify a unique inventory or accession number for this object. Additionally, the available documentation does not record a history of exhibitions for this specific portrait.
Overview
Created circa 1650, this copper portrait presents a solitary male figure rendered with the sober realism typical of mid‑seventeenth‑century Dutch painting. The sitter is shown in dark clothing with a crisp white collar, his hair and moustache neatly groomed, set against a muted background that emphasizes his contemplative expression.
Context
Doncker’s career focused largely on portraiture, and he also fulfilled commissions for the municipal council of Enkhuizen. This work exemplifies the period’s demand for individualized likenesses that conveyed both personal identity and societal rank, a hallmark of Dutch civic and private patronage in the mid‑1600s.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Herman Meindertsz. Doncker (c. 1600 – c. 1666), was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He worked in Haarlem during the years 1633–1640, and signed his works 'H. Doncker', or 'HD'. He dated portraits from 1627–1640. He painted…
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