Portret van Pieter Jacobus van Maanen

About this artwork

Onder het portret de signatuur van de geportretteerde.

Art Historical Context

This lithograph portrait of Pieter Jacobus van Maanen, created by Dutch artist Leonard de Koningh between 1833 and 1845, captures the formal likeness of its subject with careful attention to detail. Measuring 335 by 295 millimeters, the work exemplifies the growing popularity of portraiture among the Dutch middle and upper classes during the early nineteenth century, a time when such images served both as personal mementos and markers of social standing. De Koningh employed lithography, a relatively new printmaking technique invented in the late eighteenth century, which allowed artists to achieve subtle tonal gradations and fine lines on stone. This medium made high-quality reproductions more affordable and widely available than traditional engravings, helping to democratize access to art in the Netherlands and across Europe. A notable feature is the subject’s own signature placed beneath the image, lending the print an air of personal authenticity and suggesting van Maanen’s direct involvement or approval of the likeness. Together, these elements highlight how nineteenth-century portraiture blended artistic skill with emerging reproductive technologies to preserve individual identity for posterity.