Artwork
Portrait of a Man, Probably from the Pauw Family

Portrait of a Man, Probably from the Pauw Family is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Paulus Moreelse. It dates from 1625 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
As a portrait by Paulus Moreelse, the painting exhibits the formal characteristics typical of the artist's genre output from this period.
Created in 1625, the Portrait of a Man, Probably from the Pauw Family is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel support. The work measures 127.5 cm in height and 94 cm in width. As a portrait by Paulus Moreelse, the painting exhibits the formal characteristics typical of the artist's genre output from this period. The medium and support combination reflects standard Dutch Golden Age practices for portraiture of the era.
History & Provenance
The painting was created by Paulus Moreelse in 1625, executed in oil paint on panel. Its sitter is identified as a man likely belonging to the Pauw family, a prominent Dutch patrician lineage, suggesting the work was a commissioned family portrait rather than an independent studio piece. The painting entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it is currently displayed in Room 2.5.
No intermediate owners, dealers, or earlier custodial records are documented in the available sources, and the circumstances of its acquisition by the Rijksmuseum are not specified.
The work Portrait of a Man, Probably from the Pauw Family is held by the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, where it is catalogued under the inventory number SK-A-1660. It was displayed in the exhibition "Dutch and Flemish Paintings from the Rijksmuseum" at the Rijksmuseum in 1988.
The painting is accessioned as SK-A-1660 and has been featured in the Rijksmuseum's permanent collection display, listed in the museum's online collection database as part of Room 2.5.
Exhibition history includes its presentation in the 1988 Rijksmuseum showcase of Dutch Golden Age portraiture.
Legacy
The painting's later influence is noted through its presence in a major national collection, where it remains on public view in a dedicated gallery space. Its reputation is shaped by scholarly attribution to Moreelse and its inclusion in studies of Dutch Golden Age portraiture. The work continues to be referenced in art historical research as an example of early 17th-century portrait conventions, particularly in depictions of affluent families.
Its legacy is anchored in the Rijksmuseum's curatorial emphasis on preserving and interpreting its provenance and artistic significance within the broader narrative of Dutch painting.
Overview
Portrait of a Man, Probably from the Pauw Family is a 1625 oil painting by Paulus Moreelse, featuring a solemn, unidentified male subject, possibly affiliated with the Pauw family, now part of the Rijksmuseum's collection.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, likely a member of the Pauw family, is portrayed in a state of seriousness, adorned with symbols of status: a stiff white ruff collar and a bejeweled glove, conveying an air of dignity and wealth.
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