Portrait of Peter Scriverius
Original title: Portrait of Peter Scriverius
kurzbeschreibung
Petrus Scriverius, a leading figure of the Dutch Golden Age, appears here in a bust-length oval portrait. This engraving by Jan van de Velde II reproduces a painting by Frans Hals and was made around 1626. An inscription and a Latin text band frame the likeness.
Description
A book rests on a table, steadied by the sitter's hand. The bearded man, his brow lined, wears a thick fur-like collar. Around the oval frame runs the inscription 'PETRUS SCRIVERIVS'. Beneath it, a band of Latin lines names Frans Hals as the source and I. J. Velde as the engraver.
Context
The scholar, poet and historian Petrus Scriverius (1576–1660) worked in Leiden and Haarlem. The model was a painting by Frans Hals dating from around 1626. Van de Velde II made this engraving as a reproductive print, so that the portrait could reach a wider public.
Impact
Precise linework and the book in the scholar's hand convey learning and dignity. The oval frame and Latin inscriptions lend the portrait a classical, timeless elegance.
Technique
For an engraving, the image is cut into a copper plate and then printed on paper. Fine lines build up nuanced shadows and textures of the kind typical of seventeenth-century portraits.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)