Portrait of Barend Hakvoort (1652-1735), bookseller, church reader and catechism master in Zwolle

The artist employed chiaroscuro, a technique utilizing strong contrasts between light and dark, to create a dramatic effect and draw attention to Hakvoort's face.

The dark background, suggestive of a bookshelf with stacked volumes, alludes to Hakvoort's profession as a bookseller, adding a layer of depth to the portrait's meaning.