Jan Van Ravesteyn - Portrait presumed to be Jacob De Rycke

Dutch 17th century old master portrait of a gentleman by Jan Van Ravesteyn

This portrait was painted in 1624 and depicts, according to family tradition, Jacob Simonsz De Rycken (also spelled DeRyck or De Rycke - the wealthy one). The sitter is gazing at us intently, with eyes full of wisdom. The shimmering golden chain refers to his military rank. The black fabric and white collar were extremely expensive at the time and were considered the epitome of luxury, emphasising the social status of the sitter.

The present painting is dated to the top left. The canvas measures 63,5 by 55,5 cms.

We would like to thank Prof. Dr. Stolwijk of the RKD from the RKD who has confirmed the attribution, the painting is included in the RKD-database under number 309898.

Provenance: Private collection of the Riker family, NYC USA