orange Goltzius circa 1592-1601

first self portrait came from a Internet blog on Artnet 

second is from the NYC metropolitan museum of art's website exhibition 2003

third portrait is from a Museum in Holland. 

Here are three portraits. The first two are identified as self portraits of Hendrik Goltzius done in three color chalks and some watercolor added to the first one. The last portrait is not proven to be of H. Goltzius but was marked as a possibly him. It was painted in 1601 by Cornelius Ketel  of a man who looks very much like Hendrik. This great orange beard and lovely white ruffs are a delight to see but what do you think? Are all three the same guy? The painting was done nine to eleven years after the drawings and there is a resemblance but I think the nose looks different and the eye brow seems a bit different and the hair line is clearly very different. Was that the style to shave off a widows peak? Or could it have fallen out? Hendrik lived from 1558 to 1617 so in 1601 he would have been 43 and fair haired guys sometimes loose a lot of hair by that age. In any case his red orange beard is as lovely and potent as it ever was if this is indeed him in the 1601 portrait. I bet that turned a nice soft white soon after this was done who ever he was. Check out the Gotlzius 2003 exhibition which is still on the met's website of his masterful engravings and drawings. Leave a comment to let me know if you think Heindrik Goltzius with the orange beard is the guy in the painting. If you find other red beards send them my way and many thanks to Cor in Rotterdam for his help on this post with those links and pictures.  

 

orange beards

I have a great pen pal in Rotterdam, Netherlands named Cor, and he sends emails and all sorts of delights many times in each week. He recently sent me a report on a field trip with some of his friends which he calls "elderlies" who mostly traveled in wheelchairs. They had planned to go to the famous Keukenhof  to see flowers but due to some problem insted they went to Euromast a huge tower that over looks all Rotterdam, a park by the Boijmans art museum and then to the art museum. While on this trip, as is his thoughtful way, Cor took lots of pictures to retell the story of his field trip and he slipped in a little something extra just for me which is posted above. It  is a portrait of a Dutch golden age man with a big bright orange beard! The label says this guy might be one of my Dutch artist heros Hendrick Goltzius who did amazing detailed drawings and engravings. This portrait is painted by Cornelis Ketel in 1601 but I guess there is some doubt if it is actually Goltzius. In any case Cor knows I love orange hair and the golden age paintings from Holland... so this guy with his ruff collar and that long pointed orange beard was a great surprise and a great gift. Thanks Cor!