Artwork
Portrait of an officer

Portrait of an officer is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan van Ravesteyn. It dates from 1615 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a genre painting classified as a portrait, the piece serves to record the likeness of the subject, who is the main focus of the composition.
The work depicts a single male figure identified specifically as a military officer. Created in 1615 by Jan van Ravesteyn, the portrait focuses on the representation of this individual in a military capacity. As a genre painting classified as a portrait, the piece serves to record the likeness of the subject, who is the main focus of the composition.
The subject is presented as a man, with the iconography centered entirely on his identity as an officer.
Technique & Style
Created in 1615 by Jan van Ravesteyn, this portrait of a military officer is executed in oil paint on a panel support. The work measures 64 cm in height and 48.4 cm in width. As a formal portrait, the composition focuses on the depiction of a single male subject, adhering to the conventions of the genre during the early seventeenth century.
The application of oil medium on wood panel was a standard technique for Dutch portraiture of this period, allowing for detailed rendering of the sitter's features and attire.
History & Provenance
The work titled Portrait of an officer was created by Jan van Ravesteyn in 1615. It was painted as an oil work on panel and is classified as a portrait of a military officer. The painting entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display in the National Art Gallery of the Netherlands.
Overview
Created in 1615, this oil on canvas portrait presents a Dutch military officer rendered by Jan van Ravesteyn, a painter active in The Hague during the Dutch Golden Age. The work belongs to the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies the courtly portraiture of its era.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Anthoniszoon (abbr. Anthonisz.) van Ravesteyn (c. 1572 – buried 21 June 1657) was a successful portrait painter to the Dutch court in The Hague.















