Artwork

Portrait of Daniel Niellius. Elder of the Remonstrant Church and Sampling Official of Alkmaar

Portrait of Daniel Niellius. Elder of the Remonstrant Church and Sampling Official of Alkmaar is an unspecified painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jacob Adriaensz Backer. It is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. This 1671 portrait depicts a seated man in a black coat holding a folded letter.

About this work

You see a man in a black coat sitting in a chair, holding a folded letter.

The painting was made in 1671, but no one knows who painted it. That’s unusual—most portraits from this time have a known artist. The letter in his hand might hint at his job: he worked as a sampling official, checking the quality of goods in Alkmaar.

To see more paintings like this, explore the Rijksmuseum.

Overview

This 1671 portrait depicts a seated man in a black coat holding a folded letter. The artist remains unknown.

Subject & Meaning

The subject is Daniel Niellius, an Elder of the Remonstrant Church and Sampling Official of Alkmaar. The letter in his hand may allude to his role in inspecting goods.

Technique & Style

The painting is a characteristic example of 17th-century portraiture, with a focus on capturing the subject's attire and occupation.

History & Provenance

Created in 1671, the painting's artist is unidentified, which is unusual for portraits from this period.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Jacob Adriaensz Backer

Jacob Adriaensz Backer (1608 – 27 August 1651) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He produced about 140 paintings in twenty years, including portraits, religious subjects, and mythological paintings. In his style, he was…