Artwork
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of a Man is a chalk drawing by the Baroque artist Thomas de Keyser. It dates from 1657 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:upper left in black chalk, rubbed and redrawn by later hand: T de Keyzer / A 1657; in later hand, lower center verso in graphite: 42. T. de Keyser / 79135 1595-1600; lower left verso in graphite: 2449-; lower right verso in graphite: 41
About this work
Overview
Portrait of a Man is a 1657 drawing by Thomas de Keyser, a leading Dutch portraitist of the early to mid-17th century, executed in black chalk on vellum.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing portrays a single male subject with distinctive curly hair and a mustache, dressed in a dark coat with a white collar, conveying a serious expression. The straightforward, individualized depiction is characteristic of Dutch portraiture during this period.
Technique & Style
De Keyser utilized black chalk on a light vellum background, creating sharply defined lines. This technique was typical for quick yet detailed portraits in the 1600s, emphasizing clarity over elaborate composition.
History & Provenance
Created in 1657, the work predates the peak of Rembrandt's influence, during which de Keyser's popularity waned and some of his works were later misattributed to the younger artist.
Context
This piece reflects the transitional period in Dutch portraiture, preceding the broader dramatic and contrastive elements of the Baroque movement.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Thomas de Keyser (c. 1596 – 1667) was a Dutch portrait painter and a dealer in Belgium bluestone and stone mason. He was the most in-demand portrait painter in the Netherlands until the 1630s, when Rembrandt eclipsed…
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