Artwork
Portrait of Jan Six (1618-1700)
Portrait of Jan Six (1618-1700) is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Arnoud van Halen. It dates from 1716 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Arnoud van Halen’s 1716 portrait presents Jan Six I, a Dutch nobleman of the late 17th century. Executed on a tin support, the work resides in the Rijksmuseum’s collection. The composition centers the sitter holding an open book, his right hand resting on the page, against a subdued backdrop of muted tones and a partially drawn curtain.
Subject & Meaning
The figure portrayed is Jan Six (1618‑1700), a prominent patron of the arts and member of an influential Amsterdam family. His serious expression and the act of reading suggest erudition and a dedication to scholarship, reflecting the humanist values associated with the Six lineage.
Technique & Style
Van Halen employs chiaroscuro to model the subject, using contrasts of light and shadow to give volume to the dark jacket, white collar, and the illuminated book. The muted palette and soft rendering of the curtain create a restrained atmosphere, while the blurred facial features lend a slightly idealised, timeless quality.
History & Provenance
Created in 1716, the portrait has remained in Dutch collections, eventually entering the Rijksmuseum’s holdings where it is displayed as part of the museum’s portrait series. Its survival on tin—a less common support—offers insight into material experimentation in early‑18th‑century Dutch painting.
Artist & collection
Portrait of Sibylle van Griethuysen (ca.1620-na 1662)
Portrait of Pieter Verhoek (1633-1702)
Portrait of Matthijs Gansneb, called Tengnagel, Poet in Amsterdam
Portrait of the painter Bonaventura Peeters I (1614-52)
Portrait of Theodorus Schrevelius (1572-1653)
Portrait of Willem Jacobsz van Heemskerck, Poet and Engraver on Glass
Portrait of Jan van der Veen, Pharmacist and Poet in Deventer
Portrait of Marcus Zuërius van Boxhorn, Historian and Professor at Leiden
Portrait of Christoffel Pierson (1631-1714)
Portrait of Govert Bidloo
Portrait of Andries Pels (1631-81)
Portrait of a Man, perhaps a Member of the Klinkhamer Family
Portrait of Hendrik Bruno, Poet and Co-Rector of the Latin School in Hoorn
Portrait of Jacob Heiblocq, Rector of the Latin School in Amsterdam
Portrait of a Man, perhaps a Self Portrait
Self-portrait