Artwork
Portrait of Jacob Cats (1577-1660)
Portrait of Jacob Cats (1577-1660) is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt. It dates from 1634 and is held in the collection of the National Art Gallery of the Netherlands.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Painted in 1634 by Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt, the work presents Cats in three-quarter view against a dark background, emphasizing his status and character.
The portrait depicts Jacob Cats (1577–1660), a Dutch poet, jurist, and statesman renowned for his moralizing emblem books such as Sinne- en minnebeelden (Images of Virtue and Love). Painted in 1634 by Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt, the work presents Cats in three-quarter view against a dark background, emphasizing his status and character. The sober attire and dignified demeanor reflect his public role and the moral gravitas associated with his writings, aligning portrait conventions of the Dutch Golden Age with the sitter’s cultural authority.
Cats’s authorship of didactic literature shaped the perception of his image, linking personal identity to broader ethical discourse in seventeenth-century Dutch society.
Technique & Style
Created in 1634, the Portrait of Jacob Cats is an oil painting executed on a panel support. The work measures approximately 68 to 68.5 cm in height and 58 to 59.5 cm in width. As a portrait by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt, it depicts the sitter Jacob Cats, a man, utilizing the medium of oil paint applied to wood.
The piece is classified within the portrait genre and is held in collections including the Rijksmuseum and the National Art Gallery of the Netherlands.
History & Provenance
The work titled Portrait of Jacob Cats was painted by Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt in 1634 as an oil on panel work. It entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum and was subsequently accessioned by the Museum Catharijneconvent and the National Art Gallery of the Netherlands, where it remains. The painting measures sixty‑eight centimeters in height and fifty‑eight to fifty‑nine point five centimeters in width and depicts the Dutch poet Jacob Cats. Its inception is recorded as 1634‑01‑01.
Overview
Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt’s 1634 oil portrait presents Jacob Cats, a prominent Dutch poet, jurist and public official of the 17th century. Executed in the Dutch Golden Age, the work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies the period’s focus on realistic, dignified representation of notable individuals.
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
Museum
National Art Gallery of the Netherlands
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