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Portrait of a Gentleman

A work made of oil on canvas.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of oil on canvas.

Date:

1680

Artist:

Caspar Netscher (Dutch, 1639-1684)

About this artwork

In the nascent Dutch Republic, portraits emphasized the prestige of the increasingly prosperous middle and upper classes. The hilt of the sword on the table suggests that this gentleman held a position in the military, perhaps one with an administrative or legal component, as indicated by the statue in the background of the Roman goddess Justitia, with her scales and sword. The man’s success is demonstrated not only by this large sculpture but also by the golden cloak he wears. Such luxury garments were imported from Japan at mid-century, but this fashionable, brocaded version was likely made domestically. Caspar Netscher, one of the great small-scale Dutch portraitists, would have made this painting for display in a home.

Status

On View, Gallery 213

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Artist

Caspar Netscher

Title

Portrait of a Gentleman

Place

Holland (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1680

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

47 × 38.1 cm (18 1/2 × 15 in.); Framed: 64.8 × 56.5 × 6.4 cm (25 1/2 × 22 1/4 × 2 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection

Reference Number

1933.1087

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/16394/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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