Portret van een onbekende man

About this artwork

caption: ‘1ste proef’

Art Historical Context

"Portret van een onbekende man" (Portrait of an Unknown Man) is a compelling etching by Dutch artist Jacobus Ludovicus Cornet, created sometime between 1825 and1882—likely spanning his active career. Measuring a modest 157mm wide by 201mm high, this intimate portrait captures the essence of its unidentified subject with the precision typical of 19th-century European printmaking. Cornet, known for his technical skill in etching, renders the man's features with subtle lines that suggest character and contemplation, inviting viewers to ponder his story. As an etching, the work exemplifies intagl...

About the Artist

Jacobus Ludovicus Cornet · 1815–1882

Jacobus Ludovicus Cornet (1815–1882) was a Dutch painter, draughtsman, and museum curator whose career bridged artistic practice and cultural preservation. Born in Leiden in 1815, Cornet devoted his life to documenting Dutch history and culture through his paintings and drawings while simultaneously working to preserve the nation's artistic heritage as head of Leiden's Prentenkabinet (Prints Cabin...