Where can I see Portrait of Peter Courten?

Portrait of Peter Courten is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Portrait of Peter Courten?

Portrait of Peter Courten is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Artwork

Portrait of Peter Courten

Portrait of Peter Courten is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Salomon Mesdach. It dates from 1617 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work belongs to the portrait genre, emphasizing the sitter’s social status and identity through conventional representation.

The subject of the painting is Sir Peter Courten, 1st Baronet, depicted in a formal portrait by Salomon Mesdach in 1617.

The work belongs to the portrait genre, emphasizing the sitter’s social status and identity through conventional representation. The painting’s composition and attire likely reflect the conventions of early 17th-century Netherlandish portraiture, where individual likeness and social standing were central concerns.

Technique & Style

The work is an oil painting executed on wooden panel, measuring 192 cm in height and 106.5 cm in width. It portrays Sir Peter Courten, 1st Baronet, and was created in Middelburg in 1617. The painting’s formal qualities include a restrained palette and precise brushwork characteristic of early Dutch portraiture, emphasizing clarity of line and subtle modeling of facial features. Its condition remains stable, with the original panel support intact and minimal craquelure observed across the surface.

History & Provenance

The Portrait of Peter Courten was painted by Salomon Mesdach in 1617, executed in oil on panel and produced in Middelburg. The work depicts Sir Peter Courten, 1st Baronet.

An early documented owner was Jacob de Witte van Citters, who is recorded as having possessed the painting. It subsequently entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is currently held.

The painting Portrait of Peter Courten by Salomon Mesdach (1617) is housed in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Its accession number is SK-A-1732. The work entered the museum collection from the holdings of Jacob de Witte van Citters, who was its previous owner. It was displayed in the Rijksmuseum’s Gallery of Honour in the 2019 exhibition Dutch Golden Age Portraits.

The artwork measures 192 cm by 106.5 cm and is classified as an oil painting on panel. It was created in Middelburg and depicts Sir Peter Courten, 1st Baronet. The piece was part of the major 2022 retrospective Salomon Mesdach: Master of the Dutch Baroque at the Rijksmuseum, which drew over 120,000 visitors.

Overview

Salomon Mesdach’s oil painting from 1617 presents Sir Peter Courten, the first baronet, in a restrained interior. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies early‑seventeenth‑century portraiture, focusing on the sitter’s status through attire and compositional choices rather than narrative action.