Portrait of Maerten Van Juchen 

Ferdinand Bol painted this portrait of Maerten Van Juchen using oil on canvas, a medium prized for its capacity to render textures and light with great subtlety. Notice how the reflective quality of the oil paint enhances the sheen of Van Juchen’s armor. This was achieved through layering and blending, a labor-intensive process requiring skilled craftsmanship, which would have involved grinding pigments, preparing the canvas, and applying thin glazes of paint to build up the image gradually. The choice of armor is significant; it speaks to Van Juchen's status and perhaps a connection to military or civic duties. Consider the craft involved in producing such armor – the blacksmith’s expertise in shaping metal, a process of heating, hammering, and polishing. The cost of both the armor and the portrait signals the sitter's affluence, reflecting the economic structures of 17th-century Dutch society. Recognizing the material and making of this artwork, allows us to appreciate not just the artistry, but also the social and economic context in which it was created.