Artwork

Officer, Standing

Officer, Standing, by Willem Cornelisz Duyster, oil, 1630
Officer, Standing, by Willem Cornelisz Duyster, oil, 1630

Officer, Standing is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Willem Cornelisz Duyster. It dates from 1630 and is held in the collection of the Mauritshuis.

About this work

Overview

Officer, Standing is a 1630 oil painting by Willem Cornelisz Duyster, a Dutch Golden Age artist from Amsterdam. It depicts a solitary military officer in a characteristic 17th-century attire.

Subject & Meaning

The subject is a confident military officer, identifiable by his uniform, sword, and posture. The painting focuses on individual portrayal rather than Duyster's more common guardroom scenes of military life.

Technique & Style

Duyster employed chiaroscuro, contrasting the officer's illuminated face and clothing against a dark, suggestive background, creating depth and emphasizing the subject's presence.

History & Provenance

Created in 1630, the painting is part of the Mauritshuis collection. While associated with the Dutch Golden Age, it diverges from Duyster's typical thematic approach by focusing on a single figure.

Context

Though differing from Duyster's customary group depictions of military life, Officer, Standing reflects the artistic and thematic preoccupations of the Dutch Golden Age, including detailed portraiture and the use of chiaroscuro.

Legacy

As a work by Duyster, it contributes to the understanding of Dutch Golden Age painting's diversity, particularly in the representation of military themes and the evolution of portrait techniques during this period.

Artist & collection

Artist

Willem Cornelisz Duyster

Willem Cornelisz Duyster (1599–1635) was a Dutch Golden Age painter from Amsterdam, best known for his "guardroom scenes" (cortegaarddje), genre paintings showing the military life.

Mauritshuis

Museum

Mauritshuis

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This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Mauritshuis open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.