Portrait of Painter Josef Heintz

Painted on canvas in 1584 and now in the National Gallery Prague, this portrait by Hans von Aachen depicts Josef Heintz the Elder (1564–1609), a Swiss-born painter who would himself become one of Rudolf II's court painters. The 1584 date, when both von Aachen and Heintz were young artists in their early careers, suggests a collegial artist portrait made within the mobile community of northern European painters working in Italy and Germany. The National Gallery Prague's holding of this work connects it to the Rudolfine artistic legacy of Bohemia, even though the portrait predates von Aachen's formal appointment at the Prague court. Artist portraits of this type documented the social bonds and mutual recognition within the late Mannerist artistic community.

Canvas support and relatively informal artist portrait conventions allow von Aachen to depict his fellow painter without the strict protocols of court portraiture. Heintz's identity as a painter may be signaled through costume or a held object. Von Aachen's handling at this early career stage shows the transition from his northern German training toward the Italian-influenced smoothness of his mature work.