Artwork

Portrait of the Physician Herman Boerhaave, Professor at the University of Leiden

Portrait of the Physician Herman Boerhaave, Professor at the University of Leiden is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Cornelis Troost. It dates from 1735 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

As a formal portrait, the work serves primarily as a documentary representation of Boerhaave's likeness and status during the Rococo period.

This 1735 oil painting by Cornelis Troost depicts Herman Boerhaave, a renowned physician and professor at the University of Leiden. As a formal portrait, the work serves primarily as a documentary representation of Boerhaave's likeness and status during the Rococo period. The composition focuses entirely on the individual, emphasizing his identity as a leading academic and medical figure of the era without incorporating additional allegorical symbols or complex iconographic elements.

The artwork functions as a historical record of Boerhaave's prominence, preserved through its inclusion in major Dutch collections such as the Rijksmuseum and Museum Boerhaave.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1735 by Cornelis Troost, this portrait utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 90 cm in height and 70 cm in width. Stylistically, the painting is associated with the Rococo movement, reflecting the artistic trends of the mid-18th century.

As a formal portrait, it depicts the physician Herman Boerhaave, adhering to the genre conventions of the period while incorporating the characteristic fluidity and elegance linked to Troost's approach within the Rococo idiom.

History & Provenance

The painting was created in 1735 by Cornelis Troost and entered the collection of Lucretia Johanna van Winter, later passing to Hendrik Six van Hillegom, Jan Pieter Six VI, Pieter Hendrik Six van Vromade, and Jan Six van Vromade. It is presently housed in the Rijksmuseum, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings.

Portrait of the Physician Herman Boerhaave, painted by Cornelis Troost in 1735, is part of the Rijksmuseum collection under inventory number SK-A-2646. The work was previously owned by Lucretia Johanna van Winter, Hendrik Six van Hillegom, Jan Pieter Six VI, Pieter Hendrik Six van Vromade, and Jan Six van Vromade before entering the museum's holdings. It has been exhibited as part of displays focusing on Dutch portraiture and the legacy of Herman Boerhaave at the Rijksmuseum.

Overview

Cornelis Troost’s 1735 oil portrait presents the Dutch physician Herman Boerhaave, then a senior professor at Leiden University. Executed in the Rococo period, the work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and offers a formal representation of the scholar in his later years.

Context

Created during the Rococo era, the work reflects the period’s preference for elegant, intimate portraiture rather than grandiose baroque drama. Troost, known for theatrical scenes, applied a subdued approach here, aligning the painting with contemporary Dutch academic traditions that emphasized scholarly dignity over ornamental excess.