Portrait of a Man with a Shell

Thomas de Keyser

ca. 1625–26 · Oil on wood · European Paintings

The man is a shell collector, in an age when foreign trade opened up a wide world of natural curiosities. His wife holds a balance, symbolizing the virtue of temperance. De Keyser was one of the leading portraitists in Amsterdam during the 1620s and 1630s. He is best known for small full-length portraits, but he also painted large group portraits and small bust- and half-length portraits.

Artist

Thomas de Keyser

Date

ca. 1625–26

Medium

Oil on wood

Department

European Paintings

Credit line

From the Collection of Rita and Frits Markus, Bequest of Rita Markus, 2005