Portrait of a Man c. 1650

Editor: Here we have an intriguing "Portrait of a Man" by Jan Lievens. There's no date, but it feels very much of its time, and rendered in oil paint, of course. I’m struck by its somber mood and the subject's rather…intense gaze. What do you make of it? Curator: It has a beautiful painterly quality, wouldn't you agree? I see a world contained within those eyes – a life lived, perhaps with secrets kept close. The man seems comfortable and in control. How might this speak to the burgeoning merchant class of the Dutch Golden Age? And also, what do you think about the dark cloak he wears? Editor: I never thought about the painting as a glimpse into history! Curator: Indeed, we have to imagine the subject's life. It is a wonderful window, isn't it?