Aside from their artistic value, the 1700 or more works of this kind provide a face to the past. They tell us what people looked like, what kind of clothing and jewellery they wore, what hairstyles they preferred, and, sometimes, what domestic interiors looked like in those days. Each century focused on different aspects, resulting in major differences among the portraits. During the Renaissance portraits grew more realistic, but in the 20th and 21st centuries artists moved away from realism. Throughout the centuries, administrations, organisations and individuals commissioned portraits for all manner of reasons: to affirm someone’s occupation or status, or to mark a marriage or to memorialise someone after their death, for example. The Rijksmuseum collection also holds many self-portraits by famous artists such as Jan Steen, Rembrandt and Van Gogh.
Getting started with the collection: