Artwork

Gerrit Sichterman (1688-1730). Quartermaster-General of the Cavalry, Colonel of the Oranje-Groningen Infantry Regiment, Commandant of Grave

Gerrit Sichterman (1688-1730). Quartermaster-General of the Cavalry, Colonel of the Oranje-Groningen Infantry Regiment, Commandant of Grave is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Cornelis Troost. It dates from 1725 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Technique & Style

The portrait is executed in oil paint on a canvas support, a medium typical of early‑eighteenth‑century Dutch painting.

The portrait is executed in oil paint on a canvas support, a medium typical of early‑eighteenth‑century Dutch painting. Cornelis Troost renders the sitter with the light palette and delicate brushwork associated with the Rococo movement, emphasizing refined textures and a graceful pose. Dated to 1725, the work exemplifies Troost’s portraiture within the Rococo style.

The work measures 69.5 cm in height and 56.5 cm in width, fitting the conventional portrait format, and is presently held in the Rijksmuseum collection.

History & Provenance

The oil-on-canvas portrait of Gerrit Sichterman was executed by Cornelis Troost in 1725, as indicated by the work’s inception date. The painting depicts the Quartermaster-General in a half‑length pose typical of Troost’s Rococo portraiture. After its creation, the work entered the Rijksmuseum’s collection, where it remains today.

No earlier owners or specific commission details are recorded in the available sources. The work measures approximately 69.5 cm in height and 56.5 cm in width, consistent with the dimensions recorded for the painting.

Overview

Cornelis Troost’s 1725 oil portrait presents Gerrit Sichterman (1688‑1730), a high‑ranking Dutch officer. The composition places the sitter in a blue coat edged with gold embroidery, a red vest and a black tricorn hat, while he holds a sword and gestures with his left hand against a sky filled with clouds and a distant water scene.

Subject & Meaning

Sichterman is shown in full military regalia, emphasizing his roles as Quartermaster‑General of the Cavalry, colonel of the Oranje‑Groningen Infantry Regiment, and commandant of Grave. The pointed finger and sword convey authority and readiness, while the dramatic backdrop suggests the broader responsibilities of command and the turbulent era in which he served.

Context

Troost’s work aligns with a broader Dutch tradition of military portraiture, echoing the style of contemporaries who depicted officers with similar compositional elements, uniform detail, symbolic weaponry, and expansive skies, to convey status and the martial virtues prized in the early Enlightenment Netherlands.