Thomas Pots (1618-1689). Minister at Vlissingen 1661

Hendrick Berckman painted this portrait of Thomas Pots in 1661, using oil on canvas. The velvety texture of Pots’s dark jacket is painstakingly rendered. It is a testament to Berckman’s skillful use of the oil medium. This wasn’t just any fabric, though. Velvet signaled status; its production was labor-intensive, involving complex weaving techniques, and was therefore costly. Here, we see this type of material employed in the sitter’s clothing. The crisp white collar, likewise, speaks to the effort of keeping linen clean – a mark of social standing. Consider, too, the labor invested in the painting itself. Oil paint requires careful grinding and mixing. Each layer of pigment was applied deliberately to achieve the desired effect. In the 17th century, the creation of art and fine textiles alike was a complex intersection of material, labor, and social value. Appreciating these processes allows us to understand these images within their historical and economic context.