Artwork
Portrait of Jan van der Veen, Pharmacist and Poet in Deventer
Portrait of Jan van der Veen, Pharmacist and Poet in Deventer 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 van der Veen, a pharmacist and poet from Deventer, rendered on a tin support. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and is framed in an ornate gilded case that includes a modestly projecting shelf at its base.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter, Jan van der Veen, is shown with a composed expression, curly hair, and a short mustache, dressed in a dark‑collared garment and a white necktie tied in a small bow. His attire and the sober presentation reflect the respectable status of a learned professional in early‑18th‑century Dutch society.
Technique & Style
Van Halen employs a restrained chiaroscuro, using gentle gradations of light to model the cheeks and jaw, which gives the face a palpable three‑dimensionality. The plain, dark background eliminates distraction, directing attention to the sitter’s features and the subtle play of shadow across the tin surface.
History & Provenance
Created in 1716, the tin portrait entered the Rijksmuseum’s holdings at an unspecified date, where it remains on display. Its survival on a metal substrate is notable, as such works were less common than oil on canvas, offering insight into the material experiments of Dutch portraitists of the period.
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 Marcus Zuërius van Boxhorn, Historian and Professor at Leiden
Portrait of Petrus Baard, Physician and Poet from Leeuwarden