Portret van Gerbrand van Leeuwen 1687 - 1708

This is a portrait of Gerbrand van Leeuwen by Pieter van der Plas, made in the Netherlands in the late 17th or early 18th century. Van Leeuwen was a pastor in Amsterdam and professor of theology. The portrait uses visual cues to present the subject in a way that reinforces his social position. The oval frame and formal pose lend the image authority. The sitter's hand is posed in such a way as to imply both learning and control. This image, and others like it, would have been used to reinforce the status of religious leaders in Dutch society. As art historians, we can use sources such as church records, university archives, and other period portraits to learn more about the social and institutional context of this image and the role it played in shaping public perceptions of religious figures like Gerbrand van Leeuwen.