Reinier van Oldenbarnevelt, heer van Groeneveld, 1623 1850 - 1870

This is a 1623 drawing of Reinier van Oldenbarnevelt, made by J.C. Wendel, and now held at the Rijksmuseum. At first glance this appears to be a simple portrait, but Reinier’s story is one of high political drama and social upheaval in the Dutch Republic. He was the son of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, a key figure in the early years of the Republic who was executed in 1619 following a power struggle. This image, made four years after the execution, reflects Reinier’s fall from grace. The sober dress and weary pose are far from the pomp and grandeur typically associated with portraits of the elite. The walking stick suggests that the sitter is in exile and on the move. This work serves as a commentary on the fragility of power and the role of political institutions in shaping individual lives. To fully understand this drawing, we might turn to legal archives and political pamphlets, uncovering the complex web of alliances and betrayals that defined the Dutch Golden Age. Art is never created in a vacuum and its meaning is always contingent on its historical context.