Portrait of a Man in a Lace Collar

Portraits were pursued more than any other type of paintings throughout 17th century Holland. A great majority of these were commissioned by well-to-do citizens, whether prosperous merchants and professionals, or members of the city patriciates. The subject of this portrait is an unknown aristocratic gentleman in elaborate dress with luscious light brown hair. The sitter’s status is evidenced by his embroidered white collar as well as the high-quality doublet that he wears. This embroidered doublet with padding in the typical fashion of the first half of the 17th century and the goatee that he sports was also en vogue at that time.

Matthijs Harings

Harings was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He was born to Haring Wilckes and Griet Tijsdr and was a relative of poet Gysbert Japicx. He himself married in 1621 in Leeuwarden to Lijsbeth Lenerts van Vlasmar. In 1634 in a document it is mentioned that he was Captain of the Civic Guard. In 1636 he was also Deacon of the Reformed Church and from 1641 to 1644 he was alderman of Leeuwarden.

He was mainly active as a painter in Leeuwarden from 1611 to 1667. For part of this period, from 1648 to 1650, the artist Cornelis Birdama was his pupil. Harings name was last mentioned in a deed on May 7th 1667, the year when it is believed that he died, when some of his outstanding loans were repaid.