Artwork
Portrait of a Botanist
Portrait of a Botanist is an oil painting. It dates from 1603 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows a man identified as a botanist, rendered in oil on panel during the early 17th century in Germany. Its iconography links to contemporary scientific inquiry, reflecting the era's growing interest in natural observation. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection and measures 104 cm in height by 83 cm in width.
Technique & Style
Stylistically, it belongs to the portrait tradition of Germany, where panel painting remained the dominant support for figurative work well into the 1600s.
Portrait of a Botanist is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel, a combination typical of early seventeenth-century Northern European practice. The support measures 104 cm in height by 83 cm in width, providing a substantial vertical format suited to the half-length portrait convention. The work is classified as a painting within the genre of portraiture and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
Stylistically, it belongs to the portrait tradition of Germany, where panel painting remained the dominant support for figurative work well into the 1600s. The anonymous attribution leaves the specific handling of the brush and any condition notes undocumented in the available record.
History & Provenance
The Portrait of a Botanist is an oil-on-panel painting created in 1603, attributed to an anonymous artist working in Germany. This work, classified as a portrait of a man, has been part of the Rijksmuseum collection since its inception. The specific date of creation is recorded as January 1, 1603, establishing its place within the early seventeenth-century artistic production of the region.
The Portrait of a Botanist is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Created in 1603, this anonymous oil-on-panel painting depicts a man and measures 104 cm in height by 83 cm in width. The work is attributed to a German origin.
The sources provided do not list a specific inventory or accession number, nor do they document any exhibition history for the piece.
Overview
The work presents a seated figure at a table, his right hand directing attention to a potted plant bearing green foliage and diminutive white blossoms. Dressed in a black vest over a red shirt with a white ruffled collar, his dark hair is slicked back. An open book displaying botanical illustrations rests on the table, reinforcing the scholarly atmosphere of the scene.
Artist & collection
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