Willem Drost’s Man With a Plumed Red Beret has been acquired at TEFAF Maastricht by the Leiden Collection. The 1654 tronie is notable for its Rembrandt-influenced style and for the increasing scholarly attention being paid to Drost’s short career.
The Leiden Collection said it intends to make the painting accessible to the public. The acquisition adds an important example of Drost’s work to a collection known for sharing its holdings more widely.
There is also a black-and-white photograph from 1945 showing American soldiers standing outside the salt mines of Altaussee, Austria, while holding up two oil paintings. In the image, The Art of Painting (1666–68) immediately stands out because its drapery and checkerboard floor identify it at once as a Vermeer.
In the foreground, a Monuments Man is seen holding a work by Vermeer’s contemporary, Willem Drost. That painting depicts a thickly bearded man leaning forward with a forceful, intense expression, underscoring the visual contrast between the two works. The photograph places Drost’s image in a striking historical context, alongside one of Vermeer’s best-known paintings.
Together, the sale and the wartime photograph highlight the renewed visibility of Drost’s art. They also reflect the broader appreciation his work has received in recent years, despite the brevity of his career.
