Man in a broad-brimmed Hat

The sitter of this small portrait has been tentatively identified as a Jewish Doctor or the collector and bookseller Samuel Smijters (see Hinterding, 2008, p. 533). With no concrete evidence either way, he still remains unnamed. It is a rare etching, and given the small size of the plate, the peculiar expression of the man and his rakish hat, it may well be considered a small study (or ‘tronie’) rather than a genuine portrait. What’s certain is that it exudes a distinctive charm and great immediacy, as the man seems to address us directly.