Portrait of Joseph van Geldern.

Geldern is depicted as a young man sitting on a wood chair in a study. He wears matching green pants and coat, a light blue vest, and a white wig. Golden decorative tassels hang from the vest. One hand is tucked into his vest, the other holds a book. In the background is a window and a desk with books stacked on top.Joseph van Geldern, born in Düsseldorf, was the eldest son of Gottschalk van Geldern and became a prominent physician like his father. He was attached to the court of Prince Karl Theodor of Bavaria. His sister was Betty Heine, née van Geldern (1771–1859), the mother of the poet Heinrich Heine. He died a year before Heinrich Heine's birth.Digital imag