Sebastiaan Leerse, Antwerp Merchant

The canvas shows Leerse in dark clothing accented by a white lace collar and cuffs, a common sign of respectable bourgeois status at the time. He holds a brown object—interpreted as either a book or a hat—suggesting literacy or professional activity, reinforcing his identity as a merchant.

Executed in oil on canvas, van der Kooi employs a smooth brushwork that renders textures such as lace and fabric with realism. The muted brown background isolates the figure, allowing subtle chiaroscuro to model his face and hands, a hallmark of Dutch portraiture transitioning into the 19th century.

Since its creation in 1804, the portrait has remained in the Netherlands, eventually entering the Rijksmuseum’s holdings. The museum’s acquisition records trace the work back to its original commission by Leerse, preserving its connection to the Antwerp mercantile community of the period.