Portret van Hans de Wael 1630 - 1677

Adriaen Lommelin created this portrait of Hans de Wael using engraving. During the 17th century in Europe, portraiture was a powerful tool for expressing social status and personal identity. The image of Hans de Wael reflects the values of the bourgeois class in the Dutch Golden Age, characterized by its emphasis on individualism and material success. Consider the gaze of de Wael; he is looking straight at us, meeting our eye. What do you think he might be thinking? Lommelin presents de Wael wearing the fashion of the time, this emphasizes his identity and the way he chooses to present himself to the world. These details were instrumental in conveying social standing. This portrait of Hans de Wael captures the essence of the 17th-century emphasis on individual identity and the increasing importance of the merchant class. The artwork invites us to reflect on how individuals sought to define themselves within the economic and social structures of their time.