Portret van de schilder Paul de Vos Possibly 1630 - 1646

This is Anthony van Dyck's "Portret van de schilder Paul de Vos", an engraving housed at the Rijksmuseum. Van Dyck created this portrait of his peer, Paul de Vos, during a time when artistic identity was closely linked to social status and professional recognition in the 17th Century. De Vos, known for his animal paintings, is presented here not just as a craftsman, but as a man of standing. His clothing and the deliberate pose reflect the era's emphasis on portraying individuals in a manner befitting their societal role. The inscription identifies De Vos as a painter of "venationum", or hunts, rooting his identity in his artistic specialty, but also maybe subtly nodding to the violence inherent in the act of hunting and the class dynamics it implies. This image invites us to consider how artists like Van Dyck and De Vos negotiated their identities within the cultural and economic structures of their time. It’s a quiet but complex statement on the nature of artistic identity and its social implications.