A refined silhouette portrait of the painter Simon van den Berg, captured in profile by the Dutch artist Elisabeth Alida Haanen.

This silhouette portrait depicts the Dutch painter Simon van den Berg in profile. Executed by Elisabeth Alida Haanen, the work captures the subject with precise, minimalist economy. The silhouette technique, popular throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, relies on the clarity of the outline to convey the likeness of the sitter. Haanen employs a solid black fill for the figure, contrasting against the light, neutral ground of the paper. The composition is framed by a simple ink border, which directs the viewer to the central figure. The artist includes the word 'Schilder' (painter) above the portrait and the subject's name, 'Simon vd Berg', inscribed in cursive script below. These elements provide context, identifying the sitter not merely as an individual, but by his profession. The treatment of the hair and the folds of the cravat demonstrates the artist's ability to suggest texture and volume within the constraints of a two-dimensional shadow profile. Elisabeth Alida Haanen was a member of a prominent family of artists in the Netherlands. Her work often reflects the domestic and social interests of the Dutch middle class during the early nineteenth century. This piece is a fine example of the portraiture traditions that preceded the widespread adoption of photography. It offers a glimpse into the personal documentation of artists and their contemporaries. The work is preserved in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains a record of the social circles within which Haanen moved. The simplicity of the medium allows the viewer to focus on the silhouette's form, which remains a classic representation of the period's aesthetic preferences for clean lines and understated elegance.