Where can I see Portrait of a six-year-old Boy of the Bus Family?

Portrait of a six-year-old Boy of the Bus Family is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Portrait of a six-year-old Boy of the Bus Family?

Portrait of a six-year-old Boy of the Bus Family is associated with Biedermeier.

Can I buy a print of Portrait of a six-year-old Boy of the Bus Family?

Museum-quality prints of Portrait of a six-year-old Boy of the Bus Family are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Portrait of a six-year-old Boy of the Bus Family

Joseph Boze , 1811

Portrait of a six-year-old Boy of the Bus Family is an ivory painting by the Biedermeier artist Joseph Boze. It dates from 1811 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. This small portrait on ivory depicts a young boy from the Bus family.

About this work

Technique & Style

The work is an ivory support painting created in 1811 by Joseph Boze.

The work is an ivory support painting created in 1811 by Joseph Boze. It depicts a six-year-old boy and exemplifies a refined portrait technique with delicate rendering on a thin ivory panel, a format favored for its luminous surface quality. The handling of line and subtle tonal gradations convey a quiet dignity, while the composition’s frontal gaze and restrained palette reflect the neoclassical emphasis on clarity and elegance.

History & Provenance

The work titled Portrait of a six-year-old Boy of the Bus Family was painted by Joseph Boze in 1811. It is executed in ivory and classified as a portrait. The painting entered the collection of Adolph Staring and Jacoba Henriette Magdalena de Mol van Otterloo before being acquired by the Rijksmuseum, where it remains today.

The portrait is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. According to the available records, it was previously owned by Adolph Staring and Jacoba Henriette Magdalena de Mol van Otterloo before entering the museum's holdings. No specific inventory or accession number is documented in the provided sources. Likewise, no exhibition history is recorded in the available material.

Context

Created in 1811 by Joseph Boze, the Portrait of a six-year-old Boy of the Bus Family is a miniature portrait executed on ivory. As a work by Boze, a French artist active in the early nineteenth century, the piece reflects the period's enduring tradition of intimate, small-scale portraiture often used for personal keepsakes. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it serves as an example of Boze's contribution to the genre.

While specific scholarly debates regarding this individual miniature are not detailed in the available records, its presence in a major national museum underscores its recognized value within the history of European portraiture.

Overview

This small portrait on ivory depicts a young boy from the Bus family. Created in 1811, it is a characteristic example of Biedermeier portraiture.

Subject & Meaning

The subject is a six-year-old boy with light hair, dressed in formal attire with a white lace collar and dark blue clothing. His soft smile and gentle expression convey a sense of innocence and youth.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Joseph Boze

Joseph Boze (7 February 1746 – 17 January 1826) was a French portrait painter and pastellist mostly active during the ancien régime and the French Revolution.