Portret van Isaac Verburg 1704 - 1731

Pieter van Gunst made this portrait of Isaac Verburg sometime between 1659 and 1724 using the technique of engraving. It shows a man framed in an oval, smartly dressed with an elaborate wig. The fashions of the time are a strong marker of social class in the Netherlands. Isaac Verburg was 'rector' in Amsterdam. In the Dutch Republic, being a professor was an important job, connected to the growing institutions of research and learning. The University of Amsterdam was an important center of study and innovation, and of course its leaders would want to be commemorated. In studying this image we might want to consider the history of Dutch education in this period, and the growth of civic institutions in Amsterdam and across the Netherlands. Portraits are not just about individuals; they are about the social and cultural context that produces those individuals. We can explore these connections further using resources held in libraries and archives, as well as online.