Portret van Paulus Potter 1625 - 1720

This drawing, whose author is now unknown, is a portrait of Paulus Potter, the famous animalier painter of the Dutch Golden Age. Though undated, we can assume that it was made around the time that Potter, a favorite of the Dutch elite, suddenly died at the young age of 28. The image is a window onto the art world of the Dutch Republic. The Dutch had pioneered a commercial art market. As a result, artists began to specialize in particular genres. Potter’s mastery of animal painting was highly sought after in his day. Look at the details: the soft hatching of the face, the flowing locks of hair. These marks of virtuosity would have appealed to elite collectors of the time. Art historians delve into auction records, biographies, and other cultural artifacts to better understand the artistic reputation of figures like Potter. By doing so, we can better understand the social conditions that shaped artistic production in the Dutch Republic.