Portret van een kunstenaar c. 1757 - 1819

Roeland van Eynden created this intimate portrait using pen and grey ink, a medium that lends itself well to capturing the nuances of character. Van Eynden lived through a time of significant social and political upheaval, including the rise of Enlightenment ideals and the democratic revolution in the Netherlands. In this self-referential work, we see Van Eynden engaging in a dialogue with his own identity, as he portrays himself through multiple lenses. The painting in the background, complete with a palette, presents the artist in his professional role, while the portrait in the foreground offers a more formal, perhaps idealized, version of himself. Look closely: how do these depictions affirm or challenge the conventional norms of portraiture at the time? How might they reflect the artist's own aspirations and sense of self? Consider what this reflexive portrait might reveal about the artist's understanding of his place in society, his relationship to his craft, and his exploration of identity. This invites us to contemplate the multifaceted nature of identity and the ways in which we all construct and perform different versions of ourselves.