Portrait of a Man
ca. 1680
Medium
Oil on copper
Dimensions
Oval, 3 3/8 x 2 1/2 in. (8.6 x 6.4 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Rupert L. Joseph, 1959
Accession Number
60.55.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the intimate world of Dutch Golden Age portraiture with *Portrait of a Man* Pieter van Slingelandt, created around 1680. This gem-like oval painting, measuring just 3 3/8 x 2 1/2 inches (8.6 x 6.4 cm), is executed in oil on copper—a medium prized by Leiden's *fijnschilders* ( painters) for its ultramooth surface that allowed extraordinary detail in tiny formats. Van Slingeland, a master of this meticulous style influenced by Gerrit Dou, crafted works that rival jewels in precision and glow. The portrait captures the essence of 17th-century Dutch prosperity, when merchants and burghe...