Portrait of Cornelis Apostool — History & Facts
Apostool was the first director of the Koninklijke Museum in Amsterdam, forerunner of the Rijksmuseum. His portrait was sculpted by the royal sculptor Paulus Gabriël, who chose a Classical form whereby Apostool’s head appears to emerge naturally from a block of stone. This type of portrait, known as a herm, was used mainly for artists and art lovers.
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