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Portrait of Constantijn Huygens, Poet, Secretary to Prince Frederick Henry and Prince William II and First Councilor and Exchequer to William III by Jan Maurits Quinkhard

Jan Maurits Quinkhard · 1750-01-01

View the artwork: Portrait of Constantijn Huygens, Poet, Secretary to Prince Frederick Henry and Prince William II and First Councilor and Exchequer to William III →

This portrait of Constantijn Huygens was painted on copper, not canvas. Jan Maurits Quinkhard made it around 1750, and it hangs today in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Huygens was a Dutch poet and statesman who served three successive princes of Orange, but he had been dead for more than sixty years when this portrait was made. Quinkhard worked from an earlier image, reconstructing a face he never saw in life.

The copper surface allowed finer detail and smoother tonal transitions than canvas. Look at the shading around the eyes, the strokes are barely visible. The hands are painted with a dissolving softness, as if the man is already fading from memory.

The paint on copper has held stable for over 270 years. The detail is still crisp. Quinkhard was sixty-two when he painted it, looking back at a Golden Age figure and making sure we would not forget his face.

Details

He looks thoughtful. He was a poet.
He looks thoughtful. He was a poet.
His hands are painted with a strange softness.
His hands are painted with a strange softness.
The crisp, starched collar contrasts with the softer textures of his hair and clothing, highlighting his status.
The crisp, starched collar contrasts with the softer textures of his hair and clothing, highlighting his status.
The soft, flowing waves of his hair contribute to the overall gentle and refined aesthetic of the portrait.
The soft, flowing waves of his hair contribute to the overall gentle and refined aesthetic of the portrait.
Transcript

Three princes depended on this man. He looks thoughtful. He was a poet. The eyes are shaded with barely visible strokes. His hands are painted with a strange softness. Painted on copper by a man who never saw him.