This simple, direct portrait shows the artist’s mother, Anna Westerbaen. The features of the woman resemble her likeness in other paintings (see for example the posthumous double portrait with her husband in the National Gallery of Art, Washington) & her age – 52 in 1657 – conforms precisely with the painting’s inscription. The daughter of a rope maker from The Hague, Anna Westerbaen was the sister of the physician & poet Jacob Westerbaen & the portrait painter Jan Westerbaen. She married the painter, architect & poet Salomon de Bray in 1625 in The Hague & later moved to Haarlem, where she gave birth to at least ten children. Anna’s eldest son Jan depicted his mother a number of times in his paintings, but this is the only formal portrait. It possibly once had a pendant showing her husband Salomon. The portrait of her husband is now lost, but a drawing by Jan (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett), bearing the same date of 1657 & similar inscription stating the sitter’s age, seems to record the companion piece. ...

On the left are the Correr (Corraro) coat of arms. Despite the indications in the inscriptions, it is difficult to identify the sitter with any known Antonio Correr, son of Vittore Correr. Their wording has probably been repainted wrongly. The sitter coul ...

Fernando de Valdés y Llanos was from the family of the Counts of Toreno. He was appointed Bishop of Tereul in 1625, Bishop Elect of León in 1632, & in 1633 Archbishop of Granada & President of the Council of Castille, a post comparable to that of Lord Chancellor which prevented him from leaving Madrid. He died in 1639. It is probable that this is a posthumous portrait, a work of the early 1640s. ...

This is a portrait of the artist's brother, Arm&, wearing the uniform of his polytechnic school. A full-length portrait of this sitter by Gerome (whereabouts unknown) was shown in the Paris Salon in 1848. ...

The existence of an 18th-century print after this painting, inscribed with the sitter's name, confirms the cardinal's identity. Marco Gallo was born in Como. After several postings in the papal civil service he was appointed, in 1659, Bishop of Rimini. He ...

Constantijn Huygens the Elder (1596
- 1687), Lord of Zuylichem, served in the Dutch embassies in Venice & London & was knighted
...

Create your own bespoke print of Anthony van Dyck's Portrait of Cornelis van der Geest from our collection. About this painting Portrait of Cornelis van der Geest, about 1620 © The National Gallery, London This painting joined our collection in 1824 With our custom print service, you can order your own fully customised reproduction from the National Gallery Collection & exhibitions. Choose your own size, print material & frames & have your masterpiece delivered straight to your door. ...

This portrait probably shows Cornelis van Someren (1593–1649), a prominent Dordrecht doctor who in 1649 was 56, the age inscribed on the picture. This seems to be confirmed by the portrait’s pendant (Minneapolis Institute of Arts), which says the female sitter is 49 years old, matching the age of Anna Blocken (1599–1671), Cornelis van Someren’s wife. Aelbert Cuyp is best known for his Italianate landscapes bathed in warm sunlight. The National Gallery owns several of them, for example ' River Landscape with Horseman & Peasants'. ...

The sitter (died 1574) united the two branches of the Medici family & was the founder of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Although based on a painting by Bronzino that was an official likeness of the Grand Duke, this painting is unlikely to have been made in ...

Create your own bespoke print of Moretto da Brescia’s Portrait of Count Fortunato Martinengo from our collection. About this painting Portrait of Count Fortunato Martinengo, about 1540-5 © The National Gallery, London This painting joined our collection in 1858 With our custom print service, you can order your own fully customised reproduction from the National Gallery Collection & exhibitions. Choose your own size, print material & frames & have your masterpiece delivered straight to your door. ...