Artwork
Henri Bernard van der Kolk at age 2
Henri Bernard van der Kolk at age 2 is an oil painting by the Realist artist Jaroslav Čermák. It dates from 1857 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
The face looks smooth but the fabric has visible brushstrokes, almost like rough texture.
This painting shows a bare-chested toddler with light brown hair and serious eyes. The child is wrapped in a pale yellow cloth, set against a deep red oval background. The face looks smooth but the fabric has visible brushstrokes, almost like rough texture.
The painting was made in 1857, showing a young boy named Henri Bernard van der Kolk. The artist used thick paint for the fabric, making it look almost three-dimensional.
Next, check out the technique: impasto to see how artists build texture with paint.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1857, this portrait utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 53.5 cm in height and 44 cm in width. As a painted portrait, the piece focuses on the depiction of its subject, Henri Bernard van der Kolk, at the age of two.
The combination of oil medium and canvas was a standard approach for formal portraiture during this period, allowing for the detailed rendering of the sitter's features.
History & Provenance
Jaroslav Čermák executed the oil portrait Henri Bernard van der Kolk at age 2 in 1857. The work was painted on canvas and depicts its subject at two years of age. While the specific circumstances of the commission and the early ownership chain remain undocumented in the available records, the painting eventually entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is currently held. The artwork measures 53.5 cm in height and 44 cm in width.
The painting is held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it is catalogued as part of the national collection.
It is inventoried under accession number SK-C-1868, assigned when it entered the museum’s holdings.
No exhibition history is recorded in the provided sources.
Overview
Henri Bernard van der Kolk at age 2 is an oil painting created by Jaroslav Čermák in 1857, currently held at the Rijksmuseum.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a young boy, Henri Bernard van der Kolk, as a bare-chested toddler with a serious expression, wrapped in a pale yellow cloth against a deep red background.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jaroslav Čermák painted detailed portraits in oil during the mid-1800s. He captured real people with quiet care, like Guillaume Anne van der Brugghen in formal wear and Henri Bernard van der Kolk as a child. These works…
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