Merchant with a Slave

The painting titled Merchant with a Slave was created in 1775 in the Netherlands by an anonymous artist. Executed in oil on canvas, it belongs to the landscape genre and portrays a river scene with a man and a slave. The work entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it remains on display. Its provenance traces back to the Vrouwenhuis family before acquisition by the museum.

The work is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is catalogued under the inventory number SK-A-2157. Its accession details list the Rijksmuseum as the owning institution. The painting has been featured in several exhibitions at the Rijksmuseum, including the display of Dutch Golden Age works and a dedicated presentation on 18th‑century genre scenes.

The canvas presents a river scene where a European‑dressed figure in a red coat and black hat stands on the left, gesturing with his left hand while holding a cane in his right. To his right, a Black man in a simple loincloth and a white cloth around his waist is positioned. Boats drift in the background beneath a line of trees, establishing a bustling waterfront setting.

Created during a time when the Dutch Republic was a major maritime power, the scene reflects the economic importance of river trade and the intertwined presence of commerce and slavery. The depiction aligns with contemporary visual records that documented the everyday realities of mercantile activity and the human cost underlying it.