Sebastiaan Leerse, Merchant of Antwerp 1804

Willem Bartel van der Kooi's 1804 portrait of Sebastiaan Leerse, a merchant from Antwerp, is a prime example of Dutch portraiture from the early 19th century. This oil-on-canvas painting depicts Leerse standing, dressed in a refined black suit, holding a glove in his right hand. The simple composition and realistic detail emphasize Leerse's stature and importance, as he looks directly at the viewer. The painting is housed at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.