Hendrik Harmen Klijn (1773-1856). Dichter 1820 - 1853

Jan Willem Pieneman painted this portrait of Hendrik Harmen Klijn using oil on canvas. There's a subdued realism to the piece, typical of its era, and it's tempting to simply see it as a straightforward representation. But let's consider the materials more closely. Oil paint itself was, by this time, a highly refined industrial product. Pigments were manufactured and distributed on a global scale, and canvas was a mass-produced textile. Think, too, about the labor involved. Pieneman was a professional, operating within a market economy. His skill in rendering likeness, texture, and light was his stock in trade. The dark coat and the book in Klijn's hand, must have been chosen carefully, as tools of self-fashioning. They represent Klijn as an educated and serious individual. In the end, this portrait is more than just a likeness, it's a record of social and economic relations, solidified in paint.