Artwork

Portrait of Isaac de l'Ostal de Saint-Martin (ca 1629-96), governor of the Dutch East Indies and commander of the garrison at Batavia

Portrait of Isaac de l'Ostal de Saint-Martin (ca 1629-96), governor of the Dutch East Indies and commander of the garrison at Batavia is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan de Baen. It dates from 1688 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting is a portrait of Isaac de l'Ostal de Saint-Martin, who served as governor of the Dutch East Indies and commander of the Batavia garrison.

The painting is a portrait of Isaac de l'Ostal de Saint-Martin, who served as governor of the Dutch East Indies and commander of the Batavia garrison. Commissioned by the sitter himself, the work presents him as a prominent colonial official, using the portrait genre to assert his identity, authority, and status. While specific iconographic details are not described in the sources, the act of self‑commission underscores the painting’s function as a visual statement of his rank and personal prestige within the Dutch East India Company administration.

Technique & Style

The portrait is executed in oil paint on canvas, measuring 132 cm in height and 102 cm in width. It portrays Isaac de l'Ostal de Saint-Martin, depicted as governor of the Dutch East Indies and commander of the Batavia garrison. The work was commissioned by the sitter himself and is classified as a portrait. It belongs to the portrait genre and was created in 1676.

The painting's surface shows typical handling of oil on canvas, with fine brushwork defining facial features and attire. The composition emphasizes formal dignity through restrained color and precise detailing of 17th-century Dutch official dress. No visible damage or deterioration is noted in the current condition report.

History & Provenance

The portrait of Isaac de l'Ostal de Saint-Martin was commissioned by the sitter himself, according to the work's cataloguing records. Created in 1676 by Jan de Baen, it was produced as an oil painting on canvas during the artist's active period in the Dutch Republic. The work was subsequently acquired by the Rijksmuseum, where it is held in the national collection.

The Portrait of Isaac de l'Ostal de Saint-Martin is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The painting, executed in oil on canvas in 1676, is attributed to the artist Jan de Baen. While the specific inventory or accession number is not provided in the available records, the work remains a part of the museum's permanent holdings depicting the former governor of the Dutch East Indies. No exhibition history is documented in the provided sources.

Context

Jan de Baen painted this full-length portrait in 1676 for Isaac de l'Ostal de Saint-Martin, who served as governor of the Dutch East Indies and commander of Batavia’s garrison. The work entered the Rijksmuseum collection shortly after its creation and remains on display there. Contemporary accounts praised de Baen’s ability to convey authority and refined detail, positioning him as a leading portraitist in the Dutch Republic’s late 17th‑century art scene.

Modern scholarship highlights the painting’s significance as a rare example of European portraiture depicting colonial administrators, reflecting both the reach of the Dutch East India Company and the artist’s role in documenting elite figures of the era.

Overview

Jan de Baen’s oil portrait, executed in 1688, depicts Isaac de l’Ostal de Saint‑Martin in full dress. The figure stands before a dark, swirling backdrop, his black coat contrasting with a bright orange bow tie and a crisp white lace collar. A fur‑lined glove rests on his left hand while a feathered plume is held in the right, emphasizing his military status.