Portrait of Jan Boudaen Courten (1635-1716), lord of St Laurens, Schellach and Popkensburg. Councillor of Middelburg and director of the Dutch East India Caompany

Painted in 1668 by Cornelius Janson van Ceulen the Younger, this oil-on-canvas portrait depicts Jan Boudaen Courten, a councillor of Middelburg and director of the Dutch East India Company. The work measures 116 cm in height and 94 cm in width. Historical records indicate that the painting was owned by Jacob de Witte van Citters. It is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen the Younger painted this oil portrait in 1668, depicting Jan Boudaen Courten, a prominent figure in 17th‑century Dutch civic and commercial life. The canvas is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies the portrait conventions of the Dutch Golden Age.

The painting reflects the social standing of Dutch mercantile elites during the Golden Age, when civic officials often commissioned portraits to assert their status. Courten’s attire, rich brown fabric with wide sleeves and a white lace collar, signals wealth and the fashion of the period, while the map underscores the importance of global trade networks to the Dutch economy.