Artwork

Portrait of Filips Serrurier

Portrait of Filips Serrurier, by Reinier, Vinkeles, unspecified, 1787
Portrait of Filips Serrurier, by Reinier, Vinkeles, unspecified, 1787

Portrait of Filips Serrurier is an unspecified painting by the Rococo painting artist Reinier, Vinkeles. It dates from 1787 and is held in the collection of the Leiden University Libraries. The work presents Filips Serrurier seated, absorbed in a book, his attire reflecting an earlier era’s fashion.

About this work

Overview

The work presents Filips Serrurier seated, absorbed in a book, his attire reflecting an earlier era’s fashion. The composition is framed by a Dutch verse penned by H. Hoffmann, positioned beneath the painted surface, linking text and image in a single visual field.

Subject & Meaning

Serrurier’s contemplative pose suggests scholarly or personal reflection, while the accompanying poem offers a literary commentary that may illuminate his character or the scene’s emotional tone, inviting viewers to interpret the interplay between portraiture and verse.

Technique & Style

Executed after an original by J.C. Mertens, the piece reproduces the earlier artist’s handling of light and texture, preserving the muted palette and precise brushwork that define the source’s Dutch portrait tradition.

History & Provenance

Catalogued as identical to entry number 611 in the collection, the portrait entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings, where it remains displayed alongside related works that document the museum’s broader acquisition strategy.

Context

The inclusion of a contemporary Dutch poem reflects a 19th‑century practice of augmenting visual art with literary elements, a method that deepened the narrative potential of portraiture within the cultural milieu of the Netherlands.

Artist & collection