Portrait of Gerard Pietersz Hulft (1621-1656), First Councilor and Director-General of the Dutch East India Company — Govert Flinck

Govert Flinck. Painted 1654.

Gerard Pietersz Hulft by Govert Flinck, 1654. Gerard Hulft (1621-1656) was in command of the VOC fleet that attacked the trading town of Colombo on Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1655, driving out the Portuguese. By forming an alliance with the ruler of the kingdom of Kandy in the interior, the Dutch managed to defeat the Portuguese, although Hulft was to die in the final days of the siege of Colombo. Before leaving for Asia, Hulft had this portrait painted. He is surrounded by attributes that befitted a Company official: a 'factuerboeck' for the accounts, legal works by Grotius (Hugo de Groot), treaties with England, plans of fortifications and navigational instruments.

From the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

oil paint (paint), canvas · Original size: 102.2 × 128.7 cm · Jonkvrouw S.J.M. Hulft - Baroness Taets van Amerongen Bequest

Print: 94.5 × 119 cm, printed on Hahnemühle FineArt archival cotton paper. Museum-grade reproduction quality, true to the colours and detail of the original work.

Frame (optional): a custom-made wooden frame in a matte black finish, cut to the exact dimensions of this print, with an off-white passe-partout mat and protective glazing. Ready to hang.

Source: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/20027880. Image released under CC0 by the Rijksmuseum.