Portrait of Adriaan van Blyenburg (1510-1573)

The portrait was painted in 1566, as indicated by its inception date in the collection record. It is attributed to an anonymous artist and depicts Adriaen van Blijenburgh (1510–1573), a historical figure whose identity is confirmed by the subject field in the collection documentation. The work entered the Huis Van Gijn collection, where it remains located according to the same record.

The medium is oil on panel, with dimensions recorded as 67.7 cm in height and 57.5 cm in width.

The Portrait of Adriaan van Blyenburg is held in the collection of Huis Van Gijn, which is associated with the Rijksmuseum. The work is located at Huis Van Gijn. The provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for the painting. Additionally, the available documentation contains no information regarding the artwork's exhibition history.

The portrait was painted in 1566, depicting Adriaen van Blijenburgh, a member of a prominent Delft merchant family, reflecting the growing demand for individual portraiture among the Dutch elite during the mid-16th century. It was created by an anonymous artist, likely a member of the Delft school, and is currently held in the Huis Van Gijn collection at the Rijksmuseum, where it remains a subject of scholarly discussion regarding attribution and stylistic influences within early Dutch portraiture. The work's significance lies in its representation of the transitional period in Dutch art before the rise of Rembrandt, offering insight into the evolving techniques and social contexts of portrait painting in the late Renaissance.

The work is a 1566 oil portrait depicting a man dressed in a dark coat trimmed with fur and a black hat. He is rendered with a serious expression, short beard and mustache, set against an unadorned dark background that concentrates attention on his figure. The composition is rendered in monochrome tones, emphasizing form over colour.

The sitter is identified as Adriaan van Blyenburg (1510–1573), a figure of some standing in mid‑sixteenth‑century Dutch society. The sober attire and restrained pose suggest a desire to convey dignity and authority, while the plain backdrop removes narrative distraction, focusing the viewer on the individual's presence and status.