Charles Ferdinand Pahud (1803-73). Gouverneur-generaal (1855-61)

The portrait of Charles Ferdinand Pahud was painted by Jacob Spoel in 1863, several years after Pahud's tenure as Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, which ran from 1855 to 1861. The work was executed in oil on canvas, with dimensions of 120.5 by 92.5 centimetres. It depicts Pahud as its main subject. The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains located.

The sources do not provide further information about a specific commissioner, patron, or step-by-step chain of ownership for the work, nor do they document intermediate custodians before its accession by the Rijksmuseum. No creation circumstances, sittings, or acquisition details are recorded in the available material.

The portrait of Charles Ferdinand Pahud by Jacob Spoel is held in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. It entered the museum’s collection under inventory number SK-A-3183.

As of the available records, the painting has not been documented in major public exhibitions beyond its permanent display at the Rijksmuseum.

Painted in 1863 by Jacob Spoel, this oil portrait depicts Charles Ferdinand Pahud, who served as the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1855 to 1861. The composition presents Pahud in a formal three-quarter view, dressed in a dark military coat heavily adorned with gold medals and ribbons in red and blue, signifying his high rank and state honors. His attire is completed by crisp white trousers and gloves, emphasizing the ceremonial nature of the occasion.

The subject stands with one hand resting on a stone ledge, a conventional device in portraiture to suggest stability and authority, while the other hand holds a folded paper or glove. The background features a soft, indistinct landscape with faint hills and a pale sky, ensuring the viewer's focus remains on the sitter's dignified presence. Created two years after Pahud's term ended, the work serves as a commemorative record of his colonial administration.

Spoel, a Dutch portraitist active during the mid-19th century, executed this piece with the precise realism typical of official state portraiture of the era, capturing the specific regalia and bearing of a key figure in Dutch imperial history.

The painting reflects the Dutch tradition of commemorating colonial administrators through formal portraiture, a practice that reinforced the legitimacy of imperial governance. By situating Pahud against a vague, pastoral backdrop, Spoel aligns the subject with the broader narrative of Dutch civilizing mission in the East Indies.