Artwork
Portrait of a man aged 33

Portrait of a man aged 33 is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Herman van der Mast. It dates from 1595 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
It portrays a man who was thirty-three years old at the time of its creation in 1589.
The work is an oil painting executed on wooden panel, measuring 89 cm by 73.5 cm. It portrays a man who was thirty-three years old at the time of its creation in 1589. The portrait demonstrates the formal conventions of late-sixteenth-century Dutch portraiture, with a restrained palette and meticulous attention to facial detail rendered in thin layers of oil paint, suggesting careful handling and a well-preserved surface. These stylistic choices reflect the artist's emphasis on realistic representation and the status of the sitter, aligning with contemporary expectations for portraiture in the Netherlands.
History & Provenance
The Portrait of a man aged 33 is an oil painting on panel created by Herman van der Mast in 1589. The work depicts a man and measures 89 cm in height by 73.5 cm in width. Historical records indicate that the painting was formerly owned by Jean Philippe Rudolph Marie de Nerée tot Babberich. It is currently associated with the collection of the Rijksmuseum, following its time with Rafael Valls Limited.
Overview
Created in 1595 by Dutch Renaissance painter Herman van der Mast, Portrait of a man aged 33 is an oil painting characterized by its Mannerist style. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a solemn, 33-year-old man dressed in a black robe with a high white collar. One hand holds a folded paper, while the other rests on a lace cuff, conveying an air of contemplation or intellectualism.
Context
As a Mannerist work, the portrait aligns with the 16th-century European artistic trend emphasizing emotional intensity and dramatic lighting, often used in portraiture to convey the sitter's character.
Artist & collection
Artist
Herman van der Mast (c. 1550 – 1610) was a Dutch Renaissance painter from the Netherlands. What little we know about Mast are the notes related by Karel van Mander in his Schilder-boeck, who mentioned him as part of a…


















