Portrait of Martinus Alewijn, Dirck van Santvoort, 1644

Portrait of Martinus Alewijn, Dirck van Santvoort, 1644

oil on canvas, h 124cm × w 91cm Catalogue entry

This canvas presents Martinus Alewijn, the ten-year-old son of an Amsterdam merchant. He is not simply eternalized in paint as the wealthy city boy that he was, but rather in the guise of a shepherd holding a staff sitting beneath a tree, with a dog and some sheep. These motifs reference country life and hunting. They underscore the family's prominent social standing and affluence.

On display in Gallery of Honour

Catalogue entry