Portrait of Frederick Rihel on Horseback
- Artist: Rembrandt
- Date: about 1663
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the Portrait of Frederick Rihel on Horseback by Rembrandt. Painted in the Dutch Golden Age, it's one of only two life-size equestrian portraits of ordinary citizens in the history of Dutch art. The rider has been identified as Frederik Rihel, a prosperous businessman who was part of Amsterdam's civic guard and even held the prestigious post of ensign.
Look at his bright yellow jerkin, fancy gloves, shimmering sleeves, and plumed hat - they really stand out against the rather gloomy background. You can make out parts of a procession winding around a stretch of water behind Rihel. On the left is the facade of one of the gates to Amsterdam's city, with a coach carrying three passengers in front of it. And in the right background, there are two or possibly three riders on horseback.
This probably represents the procession accompanying Prince William of Orange into Amsterdam in 1660, where Rihel participated as a member of the Guard of Honour. It's one of Rembrandt's largest works and a true masterpiece of Dutch art from this period.
See it in person
Portrait of Frederick Rihel on Horseback hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
