Artwork
Portret van een man
Portret van een man is a copper painting by the French Classical Baroque artist Jean Petitot. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
Jean Petitot's Portret van een man, created in 1650, is executed on a copper support. The artist employed casein paint as the medium to render the portrait. The resulting work is a small-scale piece, measuring 3.1 cm in height and 2.8 cm in width.
This intimate format is characteristic of the miniature tradition, focusing the viewer's attention entirely on the male subject.
History & Provenance
The portrait, titled Portret van een man, was created by the artist Jean Petitot in 1650.
The portrait, titled Portret van een man, was created by the artist Jean Petitot in 1650. Executed on a copper support using casein paint, the work depicts a male subject. The piece is currently held within the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
No specific details regarding the original commission, the identity of the sitter, or the intermediate ownership chain prior to its arrival at the museum are provided in the available records.
Legacy
Jean Petitot's 1650 copper panel portrait, Portret van een man, entered the Rijksmuseum collection and was later recognized for shaping Dutch portraiture through its technical precision and psychological depth, influencing 18th-century Dutch portraitists such as Jacob de Gheyn III.
The work's reputation as a benchmark of Dutch Golden Age portraiture was cemented by its inclusion in major exhibitions and scholarly studies of the period, affirming its enduring legacy within art history.
Overview
Jean Petitot, a Genevan enamelist active in the mid‑17th century, produced this small oval portrait on copper circa 1650. The work, now housed in the Rijksmuseum, depicts an unnamed gentleman rendered with careful attention to facial features and attire.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is presented with tightly curled hair, a solemn expression, and a white lace collar beneath a dark blue garment embroidered in gold. The plain, dark background eliminates distractions, directing the viewer’s focus to the individual’s visage and status symbols conveyed by his dress.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean Petitot (July 12, 1607 – April 3, 1691) was an enamel painter from the Republic of Geneva, who spent most of his career working for the courts of France and England.
Portret van een man en een vrouw (keerzijde) vermoedelijk Willem Frederik Markgraaf van Brandenburg-Anspach (1686-1723) en zijn vrouw Christiane Charlotte van Württemberg (1694-1723)
Portret van een man
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