Samuel van Lansbergen (d 1669). Remonstrant minister in Rotterdam

Van der Helst employs a stark chiaroscuro scheme, allowing a focused light source to illuminate the minister’s forehead and cheeks while the background recedes into deep black. The white collar is rendered with fine, almost stippled brushstrokes that convey texture and materiality, creating a vivid contrast that heightens the three‑dimensional presence of the sitter.

Since its creation in the mid‑17th century, the portrait has remained in Dutch hands, eventually entering the Rijksmuseum’s holdings. Its provenance reflects the museum’s broader effort to assemble a representative collection of Dutch portraiture, documenting the social and religious elite of the period.