Portret van Michiel van Musschur 1708 - 1780

Jacob Houbraken created this portrait of Michiel van Musschur with pen, gray ink, and brush in the 18th century. It embodies the Dutch Golden Age's focus on individual accomplishment, but within very formal boundaries. The cultural elite of the Dutch Republic, built on the wealth of mercantile capitalism, favored portraiture as a means of displaying their status and taste. Van Musschur's likeness, framed by classical motifs and rendered with Houbraken's refined technique, speaks to this social context. Note the artist's palette peeking out at the bottom right: Howbraken also draws attention to his status as an artist, but places this within a conventional frame. To fully understand this piece, we can delve into archival records, period literature, and studies of Dutch society during this era. Doing so reveals how art both reflected and shaped the values of its time.