Artwork
Portrait of Johan Hulshout (1623–1687)
Portrait of Johan Hulshout (1623–1687) is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Pieter Cornelisz. van Slingelandt. It dates from 1670 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This oil on panel portrait, created around 1670 by the Leiden artist Pieter van Slingelandt, depicts Johan Hulshout (1623–1687).
About this work
Around 1670, Johan Hulshout sat for Pieter van Slingelandt in Leiden. The son of a The Hague wine merchant and a trained lawyer, he served as secretary of the Rhineland Hoogheemraadschap, the board that oversaw the canals, dikes, and dams. His wife Anna Splinter appears in a pendant portrait, now in the National Gallery of Ireland.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts Johan Hulshout (1623–1687), a man of apparent wealth and status, as indicated by his elaborate lace collar, stockings, and shoes.
The portrait depicts Johan Hulshout (1623–1687), a man of apparent wealth and status, as indicated by his elaborate lace collar, stockings, and shoes. He is shown standing on a balcony or in a garden, with the location possibly identified as Rapenburg 8, a known address. The setting and attire serve to convey his social standing and refinement, typical of 17th-century Dutch portraiture that emphasized the sitter's prosperity and civic identity.
As the main subject of the painting, Hulshout is presented in a manner that underscores his position within Leiden society.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on panel, this small-scale portrait (36.8 × 29.8 cm) dates to 1670. Van Slingelandt's handling is meticulous, evident in the fine rendering of the sitter's lace collar, cuffs, and stockings. The composition places Johan Hulshout on a balcony overlooking a garden, combining portraiture with a glimpse of outdoor leisure.
The tight brushwork and careful attention to textile textures reflect the artist's training in the Leiden school of fijnschilders. The panel support is typical of cabinet-sized portraits of the period.
History & Provenance
The portrait was executed in 1670 by Pieter Cornelisz. van Slingelandt. Its earliest known owner was the sitter himself, Johan Hulshout. The painting subsequently passed to Daniël Hooft Jzn. and later to William T. Blodgett before entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. No specific commission details are recorded in the available sources.
Overview
This oil on panel portrait, created around 1670 by the Leiden artist Pieter van Slingelandt, depicts Johan Hulshout (1623–1687). Hulshout was a prominent civic official in the Dutch Republic, serving as secretary for the Rhineland Hoogheemraadschap. The painting exemplifies the detailed and refined style characteristic of the Leiden fijnschilders.
It originally formed a pair with a portrait of his wife, Anna Splinter, which is now held in the National Gallery of Ireland.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Pieter Cornelisz. van Slingelandt
Pieter Cornelisz van Slingelandt (20 October 1640 – 7 November 1691) was a Dutch Golden Age portrait painter who had been a pupil of Gerard Dou and is known as one of Leiden's fijnschilders.
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