Portrait of Philips Lucasz.
- Artist: Rembrandt
- Date: 1635
- Medium: oil on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the "Portrait of Philips Lucasz." by Rembrandt. Painted in 1635, it's a portrait of an important official in the Dutch East India Company at the time. Philips Lucasz was in his thirties and had been involved with the company's fleet, which had sailed home from the East Indies in December 1633. He married Petronella Buys just a year before this picture was finished.
Rembrandt was only 29 years old when he painted this portrait, and it's clear that Lucasz was a wealthy and successful client. The black tunic and white lace collar he wears were conventional at the time, but the gold chain around his neck suggests that he had received some form of recognition for his service.
The painting is signed by Rembrandt himself, but there are signs of clumsiness in its execution. Some have suggested that one or more of his assistants may have been involved, while others propose that Rembrandt was under pressure to finish the painting quickly.
See it in person
Portrait of Philips Lucasz. 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.
