Portrait of Frederick de Vries and His Dog

Portrait of Frederick de Vries and His Dog by Hendrick Goltzius: The inscription in the center states: "I dedicate [this work] to the excellent…

What to notice

In Portrait of Frederick de Vries and His Dog by Hendrick Goltzius, start with portrait, urban, classical. Then look closely at this museum-described detail: Simplicity seeks and loves faithfulness.

Discover

The inscription in the center states: "I dedicate [this work] to the excellent painter Dirck de Vries in Venice out of friendship and to represent his absent son." The inscription in the bottom margin, written by the Dutch scholar Petrus Scriverius (or Peter Schrijver, 1576–1660), reads: "You may not understand what is contained in this work: Here is the meaning for you in a few words. Simplicity seeks and loves faithfulness. The faithful dog and the innocent boy, that Goltzius faithfully rendered with a Phidian…