Portret van Marinus Adrianus Koekkoek 1817 - 1918

This small engraving portrays Marinus Adrianus Koekkoek, a member of a prolific family of Dutch painters, and was made by an anonymous artist at an unknown date. The image is interesting for what it tells us about the culture of artistic representation. Engravings like this one served a vital function. They acted as a form of branding, helping to disseminate an artist’s image and reputation to a broader public. The sitter's clothing and hairstyle, including his beret, denote him as an artist of some standing. It would be interesting to know where such images were circulated, what publications they accompanied, and what the public perception of artists was at the time. While the engraving is small and seemingly simple, it opens up many questions about the social and institutional history of art. Accessing period publications and exhibition records would shed light on the role this image played in shaping Koekkoek's career and the broader art world of his time.