Portret van Laurens Pieter van de Spiegel 1786 - 1809

This is Reinier Vinkeles’ portrait of Laurens Pieter van de Spiegel, made sometime before Vinkeles’ death in 1816. The print offers us a glimpse into the world of Dutch politics during a tumultuous period. Van de Spiegel, the last Grand Pensionary of the Dutch Republic, held power as the Republic was faltering under internal divisions and external pressures, including the rise of revolutionary fervor. He was a figure caught between the old order and the new, a man of the Enlightenment grappling with the decline of his Republic. The portrait itself, with its formal composition and neoclassical frame, speaks to the visual language of power and status. Yet, the subject's gaze seems to convey a sense of introspection, perhaps hinting at the weight of his responsibilities. It is as though Vinkeles captured not just the likeness of Van de Spiegel, but also the complex emotional landscape of a man who had to navigate the end of an era. Through this lens, we see a figure whose identity was inextricably linked to the fate of the Republic he served.