Artwork

Posthumous portrait of Herman Willem Daendels (1762-1818). Gouverneur-generaal (1808-10)

Posthumous portrait of Herman Willem Daendels (1762-1818). Gouverneur-generaal (1808-10) is an oil painting by Raden Saleh. It dates from 1838 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Overview

This oil-on-canvas portrait, created in 1838 by Raden Saleh, depicts Herman Willem Daendels, a former Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies.

Subject & Meaning

The portrait shows Daendels in a military uniform, adorned with medals, holding a telescope and a rolled-up document, possibly a map or letter, against a backdrop of a dark forest and rocky cliff.

Technique & Style

The painting exemplifies Romanticism, blending European stylistic influences with the artist's cultural heritage, and features chiaroscuro, with Daendels' face and hands rendered in detailed contrast to the darker surroundings.

History & Provenance

Raden Saleh, an Arab-Javanese painter, created this posthumous portrait 20 years after Daendels' death. The work is now part of the Rijksmuseum collection.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Raden Saleh

Raden Saleh Sjarif Boestaman (Javanese: ꦫꦢꦺꦤ꧀ꦱꦭꦺꦃꦯ꦳ꦫꦶꦥ꦳꧀ꦨꦸꦱ꧀ꦠꦩꦤ꧀, EYD: Raden Saleh Syarif Bustaman; Arabic: رادين صالح شريف بوستامن, DIN: Rādīn Ṣāliḥ Šarīf Būstāman; c.

Museum

Rijksmuseum

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