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François van Aerssen (1572-1641), heer van Sommelsdijk, de Plaat en Spijk. Diplomaat in dienst van de Verenigde Nederlanden

Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt , 1636

François van Aerssen (1572-1641), heer van Sommelsdijk, de Plaat en Spijk. Diplomaat in dienst van de Verenigde Nederlanden, by Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt, oil, 1636
François van Aerssen (1572-1641), heer van Sommelsdijk, de Plaat en Spijk. Diplomaat in dienst van de Verenigde Nederlanden, by Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt, oil, 1636

François van Aerssen (1572-1641), heer van Sommelsdijk, de Plaat en Spijk. Diplomaat in dienst van de Verenigde Nederlanden is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt. It dates from 1636 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The oil portrait, executed in 1636, shows François van Aerssen (1572–1641), a Dutch diplomat who served the United Provinces.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The portrait depicts François van Aerssen (1572–1641), heer van Sommelsdijk, de Plaat en Spijk, a diplomat in service of the United Netherlands.

The portrait depicts François van Aerssen (1572–1641), heer van Sommelsdijk, de Plaat en Spijk, a diplomat in service of the United Netherlands. As a portrait of a senior statesman, the work functions as a representative likeness, conveying the sitter's status and public role rather than a narrative or allegorical subject. The image is categorized as a portrait painting whose main subject is Francis van Aarssens, and the composition is built around the dignified presentation of the individual rather than symbolic accessories or iconographic programs.

Because the sources identify the work solely as a portrait of the diplomat and provide no further details about attributes, emblems, inscriptions, or allegorical elements, the meaning of the painting rests on its identity as a formal record of an important Dutch political figure of the period.

Technique & Style

The portrait is executed in oil paint on panel, a support combination typical of Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt's portrait practice of the 1630s. The work is classified as a painting and belongs to the genre of portraiture, depicting François van Aerssen in a formal diplomatic likeness. The composition is presented in a vertical format, with the panel measuring 112.2 cm in height and 86 cm in width, a scale consistent with full-length or three-quarter-length state portraits of the period.

Stylistically, the work reflects Mierevelt's restrained, linear approach to portraiture, characterized by careful modelling of the face and clear contour drawing. The painting is held in the Rijksmuseum and forms part of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection.

History & Provenance

The portrait of François van Aerssen was painted in 1636 by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt, who rendered the sitter in oil on panel. The work depicts the diplomat in a formal pose, consistent with Mierevelt’s portraiture of the Dutch elite. It entered the Rijksmuseum’s collection and is currently housed there as part of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection.

The portrait of François van Aerssen by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum as part of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection. The work is currently located at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It was created in 1636 and depicts Francis van Aarssens in oil paint on panel.

No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available sources, nor is there any recorded exhibition history for this piece.

Overview

The oil portrait, executed in 1636, shows François van Aerssen (1572–1641), a Dutch diplomat who served the United Provinces. Painted by Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt, a leading portraitist of the Dutch Golden Age, the work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.

Context

The portrait reflects the broader cultural flourishing of the Dutch Golden Age, when portraiture served both as a record of individual achievement and as a visual affirmation of civic and aristocratic identity within the Republic.

Portrait of François van Aerssen (1572-1641)
Portrait of François van Aerssen (1572-1641), Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt

Artist & collection

Portrait of Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt

Artist

Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt

Michiel Janszoon (abbr. Jansz.) van Mierevelt (Dutch pronunciation:; also spelled Miereveld or Miereveldt; 1 May 1566 – 27 June 1641) was a Dutch painter and draftsman of the Dutch Golden Age.

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This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Rijksmuseum open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.In the collection of Rijksmuseum. Compiled & edited by , Editor & Founder.

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Frequently asked questions

Who painted François van Aerssen (1572-1641), heer van Sommelsdijk, de Plaat en Spijk. Diplomaat in dienst van de Verenigde Nederlanden?

François van Aerssen (1572-1641), heer van Sommelsdijk, de Plaat en Spijk. Diplomaat in dienst van de Verenigde Nederlanden was painted by Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt in 1636-01-01.

Where can I see François van Aerssen (1572-1641), heer van Sommelsdijk, de Plaat en Spijk. Diplomaat in dienst van de Verenigde Nederlanden?

François van Aerssen (1572-1641), heer van Sommelsdijk, de Plaat en Spijk. Diplomaat in dienst van de Verenigde Nederlanden is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is François van Aerssen (1572-1641), heer van Sommelsdijk, de Plaat en Spijk. Diplomaat in dienst van de Verenigde Nederlanden?

François van Aerssen (1572-1641), heer van Sommelsdijk, de Plaat en Spijk. Diplomaat in dienst van de Verenigde Nederlanden is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Can I buy a print of François van Aerssen (1572-1641), heer van Sommelsdijk, de Plaat en Spijk. Diplomaat in dienst van de Verenigde Nederlanden?

Museum-quality prints of François van Aerssen (1572-1641), heer van Sommelsdijk, de Plaat en Spijk. Diplomaat in dienst van de Verenigde Nederlanden are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.