Artwork
Portrait of Jacobus Scheltema, Historian
Portrait of Jacobus Scheltema, Historian is an oil painting by the Neoclassicist artist Willem Bartel van der Kooi. It dates from 1808 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is Jacobus Scheltema, a historian whose identity is explicitly stated in the work’s title and confirmed by the linked record at the Rijksmuseum.
The sitter is Jacobus Scheltema, a historian whose identity is explicitly stated in the work’s title and confirmed by the linked record at the Rijksmuseum.
Scheltema is depicted in a frontal pose that emphasizes his scholarly role. His attire and demeanor align with early nineteenth-century portrait conventions for learned men, underscoring his status as an historian rather than a military or civic figure. The painting’s quiet focus on the individual suggests an intention to convey the subject’s intellectual identity and professional standing rather than narrative action or allegory.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1808, this portrait by Willem Bartel van der Kooi is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 66.5 cm in height and 54.5 cm in width. As a formal portrait, the composition focuses on the depiction of the historian Jacobus Scheltema.
The piece is classified within the genre of portraiture and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
History & Provenance
Willem Bartel van der Kooi executed this oil-on-canvas portrait of the historian Jacobus Scheltema in 1808. The work measures 66.5 cm in height and 54.5 cm in width. It was created as a depiction of Scheltema, who served as the primary subject of the composition. The painting eventually entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains housed.
The portrait is held by the Rijksmuseum, which is identified in the Wikidata record as both its collection and location. According to the same source, the oil-on-canvas work measures 66.5 by 54.5 cm and dates to 1808. No inventory or accession number is provided in the available sources, nor is any exhibition history documented beyond its presence in the museum's holdings.
Overview
Willem Bartel van der Kooi’s oil portrait, painted in 1808, presents the Dutch historian Jacobus Scheltema. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and measures the subject in a three‑quarter view, emphasizing his intellectual bearing.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Willem Bartel van der Kooi (1768–1836) was an artist, born in Augustinusga.
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