Petrus Scriverius (1576–1660)
Original title: Petrus Scriverius (1576–1660)
kurzbeschreibung
Frans Hals painted the Dutch scholar Petrus Scriverius (1576–1660) in oil on panel in 1626. Unlike many scholar portraits of the period, this bust-length image does not present the poet and historian in a formal, representative pose; instead it gives us a grave, thoughtful man set within an oval frame.
Description
Inside an oval brown frame, the sitter appears at bust length. Grey curly hair and a beard of the same tone surround a face with a serious, reflective expression. A white, fluffy ruff collar rests over a black gown. His hands are folded in front of his body, and his gaze turns slightly to the left. A neutral grey fills the background; the Latin inscription 'AETATIS' sits at the upper right, and the date '1626' at the lower right.
Context
Petrus Scriverius was a prominent Dutch humanist, poet and historian based in Leiden. Frans Hals painted him in 1626, when he was about 50. The portrait belongs to the high point of Dutch portraiture in the Golden Age and takes its place among a series of scholar portraits Hals produced in those years.
Impact
What separates this portrait from related scholar images is the calm, dignified presence of the sitter. The serious gaze and the precise rendering of hair and collar create a focused, intimate mood. The oval format underlines the portrait's classical gravity.
Technique
Executed in oil on panel, the small format allows for fine detail. Hals worked with a loose but controlled brush, most evident in the hair and the ruff collar. At 22.2 x 16.5 cm, the picture is conceived as a small, intimate portrait.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)