Portrait of a Dutch Admiral of the Fleet
1590
unspecified
From the collection of Rijksmuseum
1590
unspecified
From the collection of Rijksmuseum
You see a Dutch admiral standing in front of a wall covered in ivy. Through a window behind him, ships sail on the sea. He holds a sword in one hand and a chain with a whistle in the other. His family’s coat of arms sits in the corner. This painting was made to show rank, not just a face. The whistle was a real tool—officers used it to give orders on ships. The ivy might mean loyalty, since it clings to walls. To see more paintings like this, look up the Rijksmuseum.
