Artwork
Portrait of Jonas Daniel Meijer, Lawyer
Portrait of Jonas Daniel Meijer, Lawyer is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Louis Moritz. It dates from 1820 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts Jonas Daniel Meijer, a Dutch lawyer and early advocate for Jewish emancipation in the Netherlands.
The portrait depicts Jonas Daniel Meijer, a Dutch lawyer and early advocate for Jewish emancipation in the Netherlands. Painted in 1820 by Louis Moritz, the work presents Meijer in a dignified, seated pose against a neutral background, emphasizing his professional role and social standing.
The iconography underscores Meijer’s identity as a jurist: his attire includes contemporary formal dress, and the portrait conveys respectability and intellectual authority. As a figure associated with the legal and civic spheres, the painting represents the growing recognition of Jewish individuals in Dutch public life during the early nineteenth century.
Technique & Style
Louis Moritz executed the Portrait of Jonas Daniel Meijer, Lawyer in 1820 using oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work is classified as a portrait genre painting, depicting the lawyer in a formal manner consistent with early 19th-century conventions. The physical dimensions of the canvas are 98 cm in height and 81 cm in width. The painting is currently held in the collections of the Rijksmuseum and the Amsterdam Museum.
History & Provenance
The painting was commissioned in 1820 by Jonas Daniel Meijer, who later became the first Jewish lawyer admitted to the Dutch bar. It was created by the German-born artist Louis Moritz, who worked in the Netherlands during the early 19th century. The work remained in Meijer’s family until it entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it has been held since at least the late 19th century. The canvas measures 98 cm in height and 81 cm in width.
Overview
Louis Moritz’s 1820 oil portrait presents the Dutch jurist Jonas Daniel Meijer seated in a modest wooden chair. The composition is restrained, with the sitter dressed in a dark coat and white cravat, his gray hair brushed back in soft waves. A plain, dim background isolates the figure, directing attention to his calm demeanor and the subtle modeling of his features.
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Artist & collection
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