Wolfgang Heimbach, 'Portrait of a Young Man', 1662
About the work
Overview
The classical-style pillar and red silk curtain add grandeur to this portrait of a proud-looking young man. The inscription on the balustrade to the right includes the artist’s monogram and the date 1662. The first part of it, ‘Cop’, stands for Copenhagen, where Heimbach lived for several years in the mid-seventeenth century, serving as the court painter to Frederick III.
The sitter has not been identified, but may be a Danish merchant; the background of towers to left and shops to the right may be intended to represent Copenhagen. The painting, with its date of 1662, provides the latest recorded evidence of Heimbach’s presence in the city on his first visit.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Portrait of a Young Man
- Artist
- Wolfgang Heimbach
- Artist dates
- active 1636 - 1678
- Date made
- 1662
- Medium and support
- oil on wood
- Dimensions
- 49.5 × 35.9 cm
- Inscription summary
- Signed; Dated
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1888
- Inventory number
- NG1243
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.