Portrait of a Man

Hendrik Cornelisz. van Vliet 1611 - 1675

Summary

The inscription indicates that the sitter was 26 years old when the painting was executed in 1661. He is shown turning the page of an illustrated book. A set of compasses, or dividers, lies just underneath it, as if recently used and relevant to the books in front of him. The compasses may allude to his profession as an architect, navigator or artist, to an interest in astronomy or to the liberal arts in general. The sitter's wife is portrayed in a pendant portrait in the collection of Manchester Art Gallery (inv. no. 1909.35) and it is likely that the pair would have been commissioned to celebrate their marriage. The artist, who was born and died in Delft, was the pupil of his uncle, Willem van Vliet and of Michiel Mierevelt. He began by painting portraits and genre scenes, but around 1651 he turned to church interiors, a fast-growing genre at the time, so the switch was probably lucrative.