Portrait of Johan Kievit

Pieter van der Werff painted Portrait of Johan Kievit as part of his portrait practice in Rotterdam. Van der Werff was a Dutch painter active in the late 17th and early 18th century, though the early dating here reflects a cataloguing discrepancy. His portraits documented the Rotterdam bourgeoisie. The tempera-on-panel medium required a carefully gessoed surface and was painted in fine, precise layers, yielding a luminous, jewel-like surface of great durability.

Oil on canvas with refined Dutch portrait technique. The formal composition and careful rendering of the sitter's features reflect the standards of Dutch portraiture.