Artwork
Portraits of a Man and a Woman framed with two ornamental frieze miniatures with shell motif and a Triumph of Amphitrite
Portraits of a Man and a Woman framed with two ornamental frieze miniatures with shell motif and a Triumph of Amphitrite is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Pieter Cornelisz. van Slingelandt. It is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Created in 1696, this copper panel by Pieter Cornelisz.
About this work
Overview
van Slingelandt presents two oval portraits—a man and a woman—set within an elaborate decorative framework.
Created in 1696, this copper panel by Pieter Cornelisz. van Slingelandt presents two oval portraits—a man and a woman—set within an elaborate decorative framework. The composition combines the intimate likenesses with ornamental friezes featuring shell motifs and a lower panel illustrating a mythological scene identified as the Triumph of Amphitrite. The work belongs to the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
Subject & Meaning
The central figures are a gentleman and a lady, rendered in the refined manner typical of Dutch portraiture. The man is shown with long hair, a brown jacket over a white shirt, while the woman wears a brown dress with a white collar and a red necklace, her dark hair gathered back. The surrounding mythological tableau may allude to marital harmony or status, linking the sitters to the sea‑goddess Amphitrite’s celebratory procession.
Technique & Style
Executed on copper, the painting exhibits the meticulous brushwork and luminous surface characteristic of the Leiden fijnschilders. Van Slingelandt’s handling of light on fabric and flesh, together with the crisp detailing of the ornamental friezes, reflects the influence of his teacher Gerard Dou and the broader Dutch Golden Age emphasis on precision and texture.
History & Provenance
The piece was produced in the late 17th century in Leiden, where van Slingelandt was active as a portraitist. It entered the Rijksmuseum’s holdings as part of the museum’s Dutch Golden Age collection, where it remains on view as an example of the period’s integrated portrait and decorative art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pieter Cornelisz. van Slingelandt
Pieter Cornelisz van Slingelandt (20 October 1640 – 7 November 1691) was a Dutch Golden Age portrait painter who had been a pupil of Gerard Dou and is known as one of Leiden's fijnschilders.
