Portrait of Andreas van der Kruyssen (c. 1600-1663) c. 1654 - 1658

Cornelis Visscher made this drawing of Andreas van der Kruyssen around 1653 using pen in grey-brown ink. The portrait is striking for its detailed and textured quality. Visscher masterfully uses varied line weights to construct a sense of depth and material presence. Notice the subject’s elaborate costume, depicted with meticulous hatching that creates a play of light and shadow, indicative of a keen understanding of form and surface. The composition is arranged to convey a sense of the sitter’s status and character, placing him in an interior with symbolic objects. The cross refers to van der Kruyssen’s religious beliefs, while architectural forms in the background suggest his place within a broader cultural context. The linear precision combined with an acute attention to texture exemplifies the formal rigor characteristic of Dutch Golden Age portraiture.