Portret Hans Bol

The artist Hans Bol is depicted in a formal ruff and doublet within an oval frame inscribed with his name and age. Above him, two putti engage in the arts of drawing and reflection near a celestial globe, while the base of the frame features a prominent skull and crossbones. The composition is flanked by artist's tools, such as brushes, palettes, and compasses, set against a background of heavy fruit swags and hybrid sirens.

Created by Hendrick Goltzius, this portrait serves as a tribute to Bol and reflects the Haarlem Mannerist preoccupation with the 'Paragone' and the artist as a divinely inspired creator. The juxtaposition of the globe (the macrocosm) with the artist's tools and the skull emphasizes the Neoplatonic tension between the eternal reach of art and the transience of the physical body.