Portret van Jan van Meerendonk 1867

Carel Christiaan Antony Last made this portrait of Jan van Meerendonk as a print. The setting is domestic, with a child beside the sitter and a painting on the wall. The man’s medals denote his status, but what public role did portraiture like this play in the Netherlands at this time? In the 19th century, portraiture was often commissioned by the sitter to project an image of wealth, taste, or social standing. What does it mean to stage these qualities in the home, rather than in a public setting such as an office? The institutions of art were also changing, with museums opening to a wider public. How did these changes affect the conventions of portraiture? To understand this image better, one might research the history of Dutch portraiture or the economic history of Dutch trade. Art history emphasizes that the meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional contexts, and the historian seeks to illuminate these connections.