Portret van de Nederlandse dichter Jan de Kruyff 1775 - 1784

This is Reinier Vinkeles’s portrait of the Dutch poet Jan de Kruyff, created in the late 18th or early 19th century. Vinkeles, working during the Enlightenment, would have understood the power of the image to embody not just a likeness, but the spirit of the individual. The print, with its neoclassical frame, presents de Kruyff in profile, a composition that evokes classical busts of philosophers and poets. The focus on the profile, the detailed wig, and the somber attire, all signal status and intellect. De Kruyff was a man of letters during a time when literacy and art were becoming increasingly entwined with civic identity and national pride. The inscription below the portrait elevates de Kruyff as a figure of virtue and artistic skill, underscoring the cultural value placed on poetry. Vinkeles’s portrait immortalizes de Kruyff, inviting viewers to reflect on the man, his work, and the era that shaped him.