Portrait of Jacob van Kretschmar (1721-1792)

This is Jacob van Kretschmar, aged 33. Van Kretschmar belonged to the Dutch aristocracy and made his career in the army. In this portrait he wears a chic blue jacket with gold embroidery. The embroidery has been very loosely rendered, as has the white lace of his ‘jabot’. Jacob’s face, by contrast, has been recorded in meticulous detail.

Van Kretschmar had his portrait painted by Perronneau, a French artist. It is executed in pastels, a popular technique in the 18th century. It was partly thanks to Perronneau that pastel portraits became fashionable in the Netherlands. Pastels are extremely delicate, but because this portrait had always stayed in the family, it is in perfect condition.