Dutch School (17th Century), A Navigator in His Study

Oil on canvas (lined), not signed, presented in an ebonized wood frame.

Stretcher size 21 x 16 5/8 in.; Frame dimensions 28 x 24 in.

From the Collection of Dennis Weller, Ph.D., Curator Emeritus, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, North Carolina

This composition conveys the Netherlands’ academic and maritime prosperity during the Golden Age of Exploration. Depicting a scholar in armor seated in an interior, surrounded by maps and a globe while holding a compass, these symbols emphasize the sitter’s authority and intellect in the pursuit of discovery. Such works celebrated explorers as national heroes, embodying the era’s fascination with adventure, science, and global ambition. Similar works were made by Johannes Vermeer, Gerrit Dou, and Cornelis de Man, who portrayed scholars in their studies, surrounded by the instruments of their craft.

The painting has been lined, with age cracking, and a few areas of professional restoration and retouching visible under UV light.