Paulus Lesire

Paulus Lesire (1611-1654) was an accomplished Dutch Golden Age painter who specialized in history paintings and portraits. Although his documented active period was relatively brief, spanning primarily from 1639 to 1643, his work demonstrates a sophisticated command of technique consistent with the celebrated portraitists of the era. Lesire successfully navigated the vigorous Dutch art market, ensuring his compositions reached a wide audience, primarily through reproductive prints derived from his Paulus Lesire paintings. His works are preserved in the collections of major institutions, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

Lesire’s surviving oeuvre, consisting of seven documented prints, reveals his strong connection to the intellectual and political currents of the time. He dedicated significant attention to documenting royalty, as seen in his Portret van Maria Henrietta Stuart, prinses van Oranje, a piece that captures the critical dynastic alliances defining the mid-seventeenth century.

However, the most compelling aspect of Lesire’s portraiture is his repeated depiction of the celebrated scholar, Anna Maria van Schurman. Known across Europe as the first female university student, Van Schurman features prominently in several works, including multiple versions titled Portret van Anna Maria van Schurman. This sustained artistic focus suggests Lesire sought patronage among circles that valued erudition and intellectual achievement, subtly positioning himself as an artist attuned to the progressive thought of the era.

The legacy of Lesire endures primarily through these printed reproductions. The technical quality displayed in the works, particularly the meticulous rendering of textures and expressive gestures, confirms his skill as a capable contributor to the Dutch school. Fortunately, many of these historical images are now in the public domain. As a result, museum-quality examples of Paulus Lesire prints are readily available through archival sources, offering researchers worldwide access to this understated master’s contribution to seventeenth-century Dutch portraiture.