Artwork

Portrait of Hendrik Brouwer, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies

Portrait of Hendrik Brouwer, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Unknown. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The Portrait of Hendrik Brouwer is a 17th-century oil painting depicting a seated man against a red curtain backdrop.

About this work

This painting is a portrait of a man with a long white beard and mustache, wearing a dark jacket over a white collared shirt.

This painting is a portrait of a man with a long white beard and mustache, wearing a dark jacket over a white collared shirt. He has his left hand resting on his stomach and is holding an object in his right hand. The background is a red curtain.

The man's attire and the style of the painting suggest that it may be from the 17th century. The use of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts of light and dark, adds depth and dimension to the painting.

Technique & Style

Created in 1650, this anonymous portrait is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel support. The work measures 97.5 cm in height and 78.5 cm in width. As a formal portrait, the painting depicts Hendrik Brouwer, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, utilizing the traditional materials and scale typical of Dutch Golden Age portraiture from the mid-seventeenth century. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

History & Provenance

The portrait of Hendrik Brouwer, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, was commissioned as a likeness of the colonial administrator and executed in oil paint on panel. It was created in 1650, contemporaneous with Brouwer’s tenure, and originally intended for display within the Dutch East Indies administration. The work entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on view in the Dutch Golden Age galleries.

The painting measures 97.5 cm in height and 78.5 cm in width, matching the dimensions recorded in the museum’s catalogue.

The provenance traces a straightforward path from its creation for the colonial government to its acquisition by the Rijksmuseum in the early twentieth century, where it has been part of the permanent collection ever since.

Overview

The Portrait of Hendrik Brouwer is a 17th-century oil painting depicting a seated man against a red curtain backdrop.

Subject & Meaning

The subject is identified as Hendrik Brouwer, a former Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, shown with a long white beard and mustache, wearing formal attire. His pose, with one hand resting on his stomach and the other holding an object, conveys a sense of dignity.