Portrait of Pieter Nicolaas Rendorp, Amsterdam Brewer 1756

This is Tibout Regters’s small oil on canvas painting of Pieter Nicolaas Rendorp, an Amsterdam brewer. Paintings like this were typically made with meticulous layers of pigment and varnish, a costly process. But it’s not just the value of the materials that mattered. The artistry lies in the way Regters has captured the texture of Rendorp’s lavish clothing, from the sheen of his jacket to the delicate lace at his neck. The most striking aspect is the implicit relationship to labor. Here, it is Pieter Nicolaas Rendorp’s successful brewery which afforded him the luxury to commission this painting. But beyond this, is the labor of the artists, assistants, and suppliers that went into the creation of this portrait. Consider also the labor of the lacemakers, tailors and furriers whose efforts are on display. Looking at this painting, we can appreciate not just the artistry of Regters, but also the complex web of economic and social relations that made its creation possible. It’s a reminder that art is never made in a vacuum, but always in dialogue with the world around it.