Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an unspecified painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Unknown. It dates from 1885 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The portrait, dated 1885, depicts Johan F.
About this work
You see a man in a dark suit sitting in a chair, holding a map of Suriname on his lap.
The man was a Dutch official in Suriname after slavery ended. He helped bring workers from India and Java to the colony. The painting was made in 1885, but we don’t know who painted it or what materials they used.
To see more works from this time and place, visit the Rijksmuseum.
Overview
The portrait, dated 1885, depicts Johan F.A. Cateau van Rosevelt, a Dutch colonial administrator in Suriname, seated in a dark suit with a map of the colony resting on his lap. The composition is straightforward, focusing on the figure and the document that signifies his administrative role.
Subject & Meaning
Cateau van Rosevelt served as chief officer of Suriname’s immigration department during the post‑emancipation period. The map he holds references his involvement in organizing the recruitment of contract laborers from India and Java, a policy that reshaped the colony’s demographic makeup after the 1863 abolition of slavery.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil on canvas, employing a muted palette that emphasizes the sitter’s attire and the paper’s texture. The brushwork is restrained, rendering the suit and chair with modest detail while allowing the map to remain the focal point through subtle contrast.
History & Provenance
Created in 1885, the painting’s authorship remains unidentified, and its material composition has not been fully documented. It has been held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is displayed alongside other late‑19th‑century works from the Dutch colonial sphere.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
