Portret van Gerbrand van Leeuwen

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

This engraving, titled *Portret van Gerbrand van Leeuwen*, was created by the Dutch artist Pieter van der Plas (II) between 1687 and 1708. Measuring 251 by 184 millimeters, the print exemplifies the refined portraiture popular in the Netherlands during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Van der Plas worked in a period when engraving had become an essential medium for capturing the likenesses of notable individuals, allowing images to circulate widely among collectors and scholars. Engraving offered artists precise control over line and tone, enabling subtle modeling of faces and clothing that conveyed both status and character. Such portraits often served commemorative or documentary purposes, preserving the memory of sitters for future generations. The presence of the collector’s mark Lugt 2228 further underscores the work’s journey through distinguished collections, highlighting its enduring appeal to connoisseurs. Today, the print invites viewers to appreciate the technical mastery and cultural role of Dutch engraving at a time when printed portraits helped shape public memory and artistic exchange across Europe.