Cornelis van den Berg

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

This intimate etching, created by Cornelis van den Berg in 1759, serves as both portrait and self-representation. At just 138 by 71 millimeters, the work’s modest scale suggests it may have been intended for private viewing, inclusion in a portfolio, or as a frontispiece. Etching, with its capacity for precise line work and subtle tonal gradations, was a favored medium among eighteenth-century Dutch printmakers for capturing individual likenesses with both economy and refinement. The presence of the collector’s mark Lugt 2228 further enriches the print’s story, linking it to a distinguished provenance and underscoring the value placed on such small-scale works by later connoisseurs. As a self-portrait, the etching offers a direct glimpse into the artist’s self-perception during the mid-eighteenth century, a period when Dutch artists continued to explore personal identity through the accessible yet technically demanding language of print. Together, these elements highlight how even the smallest etchings functioned as enduring records of artistic identity and collecting history.