Cornelis van Poelenburgh - Portrait of Jan Pellicorne - Walters 38226

This delicate, fanciful portrait and its pair, Walters 38.227, were probably made as mementos of the marriage in 1626 of Jan Pellicorne (1597-after 1653) and Susanna van Collen, both from wealthy merchant families. The leopard skin thrown rakishly over his shoulder, his blouse, and the strap (for a quiver) all evoke the romantic, care-free, but strictly imaginary life of ancient Greek shepherds, as popularized by theatrical productions of the time. His carefully disheveled hair suggests a shepherd, but his neat mustache and goatee mark him as really a gentleman.
Poelenburch was chiefly a painter of landscapes with biblical or mythological subjects who brought back from a trip to Rome a love of Italian luminosity. His intimate portraits, which share this luminosity, were in great demand with wealthy patrons, and were often displayed in ebony wood frames.