Aert van Nes (1626-1693), Vice Admiral 1668

Bartholomeus van der Helst painted this portrait of Vice Admiral Aert van Nes, likely in Amsterdam sometime in the mid-17th century. During this time, the Dutch Republic was a major maritime power, and naval officers like van Nes were figures of considerable status. Consider the details in the painting: van Nes is richly dressed, with an ornate sash and a large lace collar, indicators of wealth and status. A younger man, possibly a clerk, stands behind him, attending to the tools of navigation. Van Nes gestures out towards a seascape filled with ships, asserting his command over the seas. However, the painting also speaks to a very specific social order, reflecting the hierarchies of Dutch society at the time. Van Nes's prominence is directly tied to maritime power, which in turn facilitated the growth of the Dutch Republic. This power was often achieved through colonization and the exploitation of people and resources. The painting then is not simply a portrait, but also a statement about Dutch power and its complex relationship to global trade, wealth, and colonialism.