2-999-564 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Portrait of Jan Pellicorne, c1626. This delicate, fanciful portrait and its pair 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 dishevelled hair suggests a shepherd, but his neat mustache and goatee mark him as really a gentleman.