Portrait of Constantijn Huygens (1596-1687)
1672
Medium
oil on panel
Dimensions
23; 27
About this artwork
signature and date: ‘C. Netscher Fec 1672’
Art Historical Context
This intimate portrait, painted in 1672 by Caspar Netscher captures the distinguished Dutch polymath Constantijn Huygens at age 76. Huygens (1596-1687), a poet, diplomat, composer, and secretary to the House of Orange was a key figure in the Dutch Golden Age, patronizing artists like Rembrandt and fostering scientific innovation through his son Christiaan, the famed astronomer. The small scale—27 cm high by 23 cm wide—s a personal commission, perhaps for Huygens' private collection or family keepsake. Netscher, a leading portraitist influenced by the refined realism of Gerard ter Borch, signe...
About the Artist
Caspar Netscher · 1639–1684
Comment on works: Portraits; Genre; fruit