Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter (1607-1676), Lieutenant Admiral

About this artwork

Portret van Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter, halffiguur staand voor een open gordijn waarachter rechts een vaag zeegezicht. De geportretteerde draagt de Franse orde van St. Michiel. Hij heeft in de rechterhand een commandostaf, achter hem een globe.

Art Historical Context

This striking portrait by Ferdinand Bol, a prominent Dutch Baroque painter and former pupil of Rembrandt, captures Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter (1607–1676), one of the Netherlands' greatest naval heroes. Painted in oil on canvas around the mid-17th century—during the height of the Dutch Golden Age—this half-length depiction (112 × 90 cm) now graces the Rijksmuseum. Bol's masterful use of rich oils brings a luminous quality to the admiral's face and attire, evoking the dramatic chiaroscuro techniques he learned from his mentor. De Ruyter stands confidently before an open curtain revealing a ...

About the Artist

Ferdinand Bol · 1616–1680

As a very young man, Bol moved to Amsterdam, where he worked under the direction of Rembrandt, with whom he formed a friendship. Comment on works: Religious; History; Portraits