Portrait of David George van Lennep, Chief Merchant of the Dutch Factory at Smyrna (Izmir) and his Wife and Children

Favray employs a delicate chiaroscuro to render the textures of silk, satin and embroidered fabrics, giving the garments a tactile presence. The restrained background isolates the figures, allowing the luminous colours—particularly the blue uniforms with gold trim and the white dress—to dominate the visual field, a hallmark of Rococo portraiture.

Created during Favray’s period of activity in the Mediterranean, the work entered the Rijksmuseum’s collection in the 20th century, where it remains part of the Dutch holdings. The painting reflects Favray’s broader practice of documenting individuals linked to Mediterranean trade and diplomatic networks.

The portrait situates a Dutch mercantile household within the cosmopolitan environment of an Ottoman port city, illustrating the cross‑cultural interactions that characterised 18th‑century Mediterranean commerce. It also exemplifies the demand among expatriate elites for European portraiture that affirmed their social standing abroad.