Engelbert van Berckel (1686-1768), gekozen in 1715

The work emerged during the later phase of the Dutch Golden Age, reflecting the continued prominence of portraiture within the cultural landscape of the Low Countries. Its creation in 1750 aligns with a period when artists increasingly engaged with themes of civic identity and commercial prestige, as evidenced by its inclusion in collections associated with the East India Company and Rotterdam's civic institutions. The painting's attribution to Engelbert van Berckel, a figure active in the early to mid-18th century, places it within a broader trajectory of portraiture that documented influential individuals in Dutch society.

Contemporary scholarship notes its stylistic and thematic connections to earlier portrait traditions while recognizing its role in documenting the evolving artistic and social narratives of the era.

This portrait depicts Engelbert van Berckel, painted in oil. The subject is shown in formal attire, with a dark coat and a large white wig.

The painting presents van Berckel with a pale complexion, his hands positioned near his chest, one grasping a folded paper. The somber black background emphasizes his figure and ornate clothing.