Rembrandt (1606-1669)
Portrait of a Man, probably a Member of the Van Beresteyn Family
1632
Oil on canvas, 111.8 x 88.9 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The man is most likely Cornelis van Beresteyn (1586–1638), a wealthy burgomaster of Delft. His restrained pose and sober expression contrast with the animation and accessibility that Rembrandt usually attributed to members of Amsterdam society. At the time, portraits in Delft and in the neighboring court city of The Hague were remarkably conservative, adhering to a tradition that went back to Spanish royal portraits of the mid-1500s. Rembrandt is known to have painted a few portraits in The Hague during 1632. (MET)
Companion:
Rembrandt (1606-1669)
Portrait of a Woman
1632
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
See also:
• Beresteyn, Cornelis van (1586-1638)