Portrait of Rear-Admiral Job Seaburne May
1823
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
h 61cm × w 51.5cm
Classification
painting
Museum
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
About this artwork
Portret van Job Seaburne May, schout-bij-nacht. Buste in ovaal, links op de achtergrond een scheepswerf. Pendant van SK-A-2424.
Art Historical Context
This elegant oil-on-canvas portrait from 1823 captures Rear-Admiral Job Seab May, a distinguished officer in the Dutch Royal Navy, painted by Jan Willem May. a modest 61 x 51.5 cm, it presents a bust-length depiction framed in an oval, a traditional format that emphasizes the sitter's dignified presence. To the left, a ship subtly emerges in the background, evoking the admiral's seafaring career during the post-Napoleonic era when the Netherlands was rebuilding its maritime strength as part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Jan Willem May, likely a family member, employs the rich text...