Portrait of Hendrik Nobel, Director of the Rotterdam Chamber of the Dutch East India Company, elected 1625 1695 - 1722

Pieter van der Werff painted this portrait of Hendrik Nobel, Director of the Rotterdam Chamber of the Dutch East India Company, using oil on canvas. Oil paint is a versatile medium, allowing for smooth gradations of tone and realistic textures. Here, the dark swathes of Nobel's clothing are rendered with careful attention to the play of light, conveying the weight and feel of the fabric. The artist has built up these areas of shadow with thin layers of pigment, a time-consuming process demanding great patience and control. This would have been work for assistants, though the final touches would certainly have been van der Werff’s. The subject's status as a director of the Dutch East India Company is significant. The company was a major player in global trade and colonialism at the time, responsible for the exploitation of resources and labor in many parts of the world. Considering the materials and making of this portrait helps us understand its full cultural significance, challenging the distinction between fine art and the wider context of social and economic forces.