Artwork

Copy after portrait of Karel Reyniersz (1604-1653), Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies

Copy after portrait of Karel Reyniersz (1604-1653), Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies is an oil painting. It dates from 1775 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The oil painting portrays Karel Reyniersz, who served as Governor‑General of the Dutch East Indies in the early 17th century.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

As a portrait, its primary function was to commemorate his official role and status within the Dutch colonial administration in Asia.

The painting depicts Karel Reyniersz (1604–1653), who served as Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1650 to 1653. As a portrait, its primary function was to commemorate his official role and status within the Dutch colonial administration in Asia. The anonymous copy, dated to 1775, reflects the 18th-century European practice of reproducing earlier official likenesses, preserving the visual authority of Reyniersz’s governance during a pivotal period of Dutch expansion in the East Indies.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1775, this anonymous portrait is an oil painting applied on a wooden panel support. The work measures 33 cm in height and 25 cm in width. As a copy, the piece adheres to the conventions of portraiture, depicting the former Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, Carel Reyniersz.

The combination of oil paint and panel reflects standard materials for portrait production of this era, though specific details regarding the artist's brushwork, surface condition, or distinct stylistic handling are not documented in the available records.

History & Provenance

The painting is an anonymous oil-on-panel copy made in 1775 of a portrait of Karel Reyniersz. According to the Rijksmuseum’s records, the work entered the museum’s collection and is currently housed there; no earlier owners or commission details are recorded in the available sources. Its creation history is limited to the date of execution and the medium, with no further documentation of its production context or subsequent provenance. It reproduces the likeness of Reyniersz as known from earlier depictions.

The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, where it is recorded under its Wikidata entry as an anonymous work after the portrait of Karel Reyniersz.

It was painted in 1775 and measures 33 cm in height by 25 cm in width on a panel support.

Overview

The oil painting portrays Karel Reyniersz, who served as Governor‑General of the Dutch East Indies in the early 17th century. He is depicted in a dark robe and wide‑brimmed hat, set against a deep, shadowy background that emphasizes his solemn demeanor. A heraldic shield with a crown and scrolls rests on a ledge beneath him, flanked by his name and title in Dutch.

Context

Reyniersz’s tenure coincided with the Dutch East India Company’s expansion in Southeast Asia, a time when portraiture was employed to assert the legitimacy and prestige of company officials. The formal dress and heraldic elements reflect contemporary conventions for representing governmental authority.