Artwork
Man with a Celestial Globe
Man with a Celestial Globe is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Nicolaes Eliaszoon Pickenoy. It dates from 1624 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting Man with a Celestial Globe, executed by Nicolaes Eliaszoon Pickenoy in 1624, portrays a seated male sitter holding a brass celestial globe.
The painting Man with a Celestial Globe, executed by Nicolaes Eliaszoon Pickenoy in 1624, portrays a seated male sitter holding a brass celestial globe. The inclusion of the globe functions as a symbol of scientific curiosity, cosmological knowledge, and the owner's engagement with contemporary intellectual currents such as astronomy and global navigation. As a portrait, it emphasizes the sitter's status and erudition within the Dutch Golden Age milieu, reflecting the period's fascination with mapping the heavens and expanding trade horizons. The work is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Technique & Style
The portrait Man with a Celestial Globe, executed by Nicolaes Eliaszoon Pickenoy in 1624, is an oil painting on wooden panel measuring approximately 104.8 × 76.2 cm. The work depicts a well-dressed man holding a small celestial globe, rendered with fine brushwork that emphasizes chiaroscuro and a sober, three-dimensional modeling typical of early-17th-century Dutch portraiture. Pickenoy's technique employs layered oil glazes to achieve subtle tonal transitions, while the polished panel surface supports the fine detail of facial features and the delicate rendering of the globe.
History & Provenance
The work titled Man with a Celestial Globe was executed in 1624 by Nicolaes Eliaszoon Pickenoy using oil on panel. It portrays a man holding a celestial globe and belongs to the portrait genre. The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York under accession number 14.40.610. No further details of commission or earlier ownership are recorded in the available sources.
Overview
Nicolaes Eliaszoon Pickenoy, a prominent Dutch Golden Age artist, completed Man with a Celestial Globe in 1624. This oil painting presents an individual engaged with a scientific instrument, reflecting the era's intellectual curiosity. The artwork is presently housed within the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, offering insight into 17th-century portraiture and its broader cultural context.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolaes Eliaszoon Pickenoy (10 January 1588 – 1653/1656) was a Dutch painter of Flemish origin. Pickenoy was possibly a pupil of Cornelis van der Voort and presumably Bartholomeus van der Helst was his own pupil.
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