Where can I see Portrait of a boy with a kolf club?

Portrait of a boy with a kolf club is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Portrait of a boy with a kolf club?

Portrait of a boy with a kolf club is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Can I buy a print of Portrait of a boy with a kolf club?

Museum-quality prints of Portrait of a boy with a kolf club are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Portrait of a boy with a kolf club

Wybrand de Geest , 1631

Portrait of a boy with a kolf club is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Wybrand de Geest. It dates from 1631 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

By depicting the child with this apparatus, the artist emphasizes a moment of youthful recreation rather than formal status alone.

Completed in 1631, this oil painting on panel by Wybrand de Geest portrays a young male figure holding a kolf club. The work functions as a genre portrait, capturing the sitter with an implement used for kolf, an early form of stick-and-ball gameplay ancestral to modern golf and hockey. The inclusion of the sporting equipment serves as a specific iconographic element, likely signaling the boy's engagement in leisure activities or indicating his social standing through the ownership of such recreational gear.

By depicting the child with this apparatus, the artist emphasizes a moment of youthful recreation rather than formal status alone.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1631, this portrait by Wybrand de Geest is an oil painting on panel. The work measures 115.4 cm in height and 85.3 cm in width. Stylistically, it functions as a formal portrait depicting a young boy holding a kolf club. The composition focuses on the figure and the sporting implement, characteristic of genre-inflected portraiture from the period.

History & Provenance

The work titled Portrait of a boy with a kolf club was painted by Wybrand de Geest in 1631 as an oil on panel portrait. It entered the collection of Andreas van den Bogaerde van Terbrugge and later passed to his relative Donatus van den Bogaerde van Terbrugge before being acquired by the Rijksmuseum and displayed at Heeswijk Castle. The painting measures 115.4 cm by 85.3 cm.

The painting is part of the Rijksmuseum collection, recorded under inventory number SK-C-1965.

Overview

Wybrand de Geest’s 1631 oil painting portrays a young boy holding a kolf club and a ball. The figure stands on a checkered floor, set against a dark backdrop, and is dressed in a vivid yellow‑black patterned costume with a white ruffled collar and a wide belt. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.