Portrait of Joost van Coulster, Director of the Rotterdam Chamber of the Dutch East India Company, elected 1630

About this artwork

height 82 cm x width 68 cm

Art Historical Context

Step into the opulent world of the Dutch Golden Age with *Portrait of Joost van Coulster, Director of the Rotterdam Chamber of Dutch East India Company, elected 1630*, painted by Pieter van der Werff between 1695 and 1722. This oil on canvas measures a modest 82 x 68 cm, yet it captures the dignified presence of a key figure in Holland's mercantile empire. Van der Werff, a master of late Baroque portraiture and younger brother of the renowned Adriaen van der Werff, renders his subject with smooth, polished brushwork and a refined elegance characteristic of Leiden fine painting. Joost van Coul...

About the Artist

Pieter van der Werff · 1665–1722

Pieter van der Werff was the younger brother and pupil of Adriaan van der Werff. He was senior member of the Rotterdam painters' guild in 1703 and 1715. For a number of years, van der Werff simply made copies of works by Adriaan. Later, he produced original works in the manner of his older brother, including history paintings, portraits and genre scenes, almost always on a small scale. Comment on...