The Standard Galleries - Holland Part 23

The entrance of the grotto is in the background on the left.

=Four Portrait Groups by the Eversdijcks.=--In common with all other Dutch galleries, the Boijmans is rich in portraits. Royalties, admirals, officers, ladies of quality, gentlemen, elderly men and women, and children are all represented. Three pictures of gatherings of officers at Goes, by Cornelis Willemsz Eversdijck, who died in his native town of Goes about 1649, and one by his son Willem, representing the same corps of archers, are the only important pictures of this cla.s.s in the gallery.

=Two Portraits by Mostert, and One by Queborn.=--Jan Mostert (1474-?), who was a painter of portraits and altarpieces, has here two half-lengths of Augusteyn van Teylingen, Anno 1511, and Judoca van Egmont van der Nieuburch, 1511 (his wife).

Crispyn van den Queborn (1604-58) was a distinguished portrait-painter and engraver. His half-length Portrait of Hartogh van Moerkerken was painted in 1645.

=Santvoort, a Portrait-painter after the Style of Rembrandt.=--Dirk van Santvoort (d. 1660) was probably one of Rembrandt's pupils; or, at least, he adopted that master's manner. Not many of his pictures are known, and the majority of these are portraits. His two pictures in the Boijmans Museum, however, belong rather to the cla.s.sical school of the Elzheimers and Poelenburgs. A Young Shepherd Playing the Chalumeau, wearing a brown cap with an ostrich feather, and a bright brown robe over a white shirt, with a knife and horn at his belt (green background), is dated 1632. A Young Shepherdess, half-length, turned to the left, wears a violet dress with red sleeves. A blue hat with a green branch is on her head and a crook over her right shoulder. The background is greenish.

=Two Portraits by F. Bol.=--Ferdinand Bol's Portrait of a Woman represents a young woman seen in profile half-length, and turned to the left. She wears a red dress and a violet velvet mantle lined with fur.

Beautiful ornaments of gold and pearls are in her hair and on her neck and arms. One hand rests on the base of a column, and the other holds a closed fan. His portrait of Dirk van Walijen represents a young boy with long curls, dressed in yellow satin, red tunic, and yellow boots.

=Portrait by Gerrit Dou.=--Among the most striking portraits is that of An Old Lady by Gerrit Dou. She is dressed in black velvet trimmed with fur; her bodice is of black silk, and she wears a large turned-down collar, and round her neck a gold chain with a pendent jewel. She has on a blue cap with a gold band. The head stands out boldly from the grayish background, and the expression of the smiling face is singularly impressive.

=Jacob Cats and his Cousin, by Mytens.=--Mytens's Portrait of Jacob Cats, the Dutch poet, and his cousin Cornelia Bars, is also of interest.

It was painted in 1650, and represents Jacob Cats seated at a table before a tent. He is dressed in crimson, and turns toward his cousin at his side, who wears brown silk. On the table, with its red carpet, are an open book and an inkstand. On the left is seen a hilly landscape with trees; and in the background an angel with a long white robe.

=Portraits by Opzoomer.=--Simon Opzoomer has a portrait of Rembertus Frescarode, one called Erasmus in his Study, and one of the Brothers de Witt in Prison in Gevangenpoort. Cornelis is in bed, and Jacob is seated by him with a book on his knees. The time is just before their murder by the populace in 1672.

=Portraits of Two Notables by Mierevelt.=--Mierevelt has a Portrait of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, painted in 1671. His Maurice of Na.s.sau shows that prince standing by a table and wearing a richly worked cuira.s.s, the present of the States-General after the victory of Nieuwpoort, and an orange silk scarf. He holds a commandant's baton in his right hand, and his helmet with orange plumes is seen on the table. Mierevelt has here also A Lady of Quality.

=Finely painted Portraits by Nason.=--Pieter Nason (1612-90), who painted portraits and still life, and who has a Portrait of Willem Frederick, Count of Na.s.sau (1662), in The Hague, has here The Portrait of a Lord, and one of A Woman of Quality. The lady is holding some yellow flowers. She is dressed in red silk with white undersleeves; a brown scarf falls over her shoulders; and pearls ornament her hair, ears, and neck. The jewels, silks, and satins are beautifully painted, as is also the costume of the lord in the accompanying picture. He is dressed in yellow silk with a brown mantle, and his lace cravat is held by a circle of diamonds. Trees form the background.

=A Woman of Quality, by Pourbus.=--Pieter Pourbus (1510-83) was a painter, geographer, and architect. His Portrait of a Woman of Quality shows her costumed in the Valois mode, with Mary Stuart cap, fluted ruff, and black robe.

=Two Portraits by Netscher.=--Caspar Netscher has a sombre Portrait of a Protestant Pastor and a brilliant Lady of Quality, dressed in blue satin with a graceful brown scarf. She is seated by a fountain. One hand is placed on her breast; the other is full of roses.

=Pool's Interesting Portraits of his Wife and her Father.=--Of great interest is the portrait of Rachel Ruysch, painted by her husband, Juriaan Pool. This is a bust only. The lady is represented with powdered hair and dressed in brown satin with lace at the neck and sleeves. Her right hand is lifted and holds a veil. The background contains a column and a green curtain. Pool's portrait of her father, Professor Frederik Ruysch, is also a bust. He wears a large powdered wig and a long robe with a band; his left hand holds a skull.

=A Portrait Group by Maes.=--Nicholas Maes is represented by a Portrait of a Gentleman and a Lady standing in front of a n.o.ble house. The lady, in black with a gray tunic having an embroidered gold border and a large collar, holds a little child with her left hand. The latter is dressed in white and wears a cap with a red feather. The gentleman holds his wife by her other hand. He is dressed in black, with white ruff and cuffs, and a mantle is thrown over his left shoulder. His right hand holds a glove. Behind them are a rosebush and flowers, and there are shrubs and bushes by the wall.

=Other Portraits by Maes.=--Another by the same artist represents Mr.

Willem Nieupoort, Envoy from the States-General to Oliver Cromwell in 1653. He is standing by a broken column, and is dressed in yellow silk and brown velvet, a corselet, a lace cravat, and a red scarf. Near the column are a sword and a helmet with red plumes. His wife, Anna van Loon, is also painted by Maes, standing by a stone bal.u.s.trade. She wears a dress of red velvet with a tunic of yellow silk, a gray veil, and pearls in her hair. In her left hand she holds some oranges, and her right clasps that of a little girl in white. Trees occupy the background.

=A Portrait of a Priest, by Metsu.=--Gabriel Metsu has a Portrait of a Priest, seated at a table in his study. One hand rests on his breast, the other on a death's head. On the table, covered with a green cloth, are placed an open book, a crucifix, and a sheet of paper. A glove, books, and a half-drawn curtain occupy the background.

=A Lawyer in his Study, by A. van Ostade.=--Adriaen van Ostade has A Lawyer in his Study. This important personage, dressed in black velvet and a violet robe, is seated by a table covered with a Smyrna rug, on which are books, papers, doc.u.ments, and a pewter inkstand. He is reading a doc.u.ment which he holds in his left hand; his right, resting on the arm of his chair, holds his spectacles. Behind the table there is a blue screen. An open door is seen in the background.

Honthorst has a Portrait of an Old Man, dressed in brown, and having a long gray beard.

=Several Portraits by Van der Helst.=--Bartholomeus van der Helst has one of A Protestant Minister, painted in 1638; one called A Man, and another A Woman (the two latter painted in 1646); Portrait of Daniel Bernard; and Portrait of a Lady and Gentleman. The latter, painted in 1654, represents the couple on a bench in the garden. The lady is beautifully dressed in white satin, with pearls and diamonds, and she is plucking a rose from a bush near by. She has a huge diamond ring on her thumb. The gentleman is dressed in black satin: in one hand he holds his large-brimmed hat; the other supports the right arm of the lady. The landscape, with its varied trees and playing fountain, was painted by Aldert van Everdingen (1654).

=A Portrait by Jan de Vos.=--Jan de Vos, who died about 1651, has here a Portrait of a Man, dressed in black with white ruff, and standing by a table. His right hand holds a pen, his left rests on an open copy-book.

=A Portrait by Stolker.=--Jan Stolker (1724-85), pupil of J. M.

Quinkhard, has a Portrait of the Burgomaster of Rotterdam, Willem Schefers, seated at a table covered with a red cloth, on which are several books. He is dressed in black velvet, and wears a powdered wig.

=Portraits by Simon de Vos.=--Simon de Vos (1608-76), a pupil of Cornelis de Vos and Rubens, has a Portrait of a Man, dressed in black with striped sleeves and a large fluted ruff. His right hand rests on a table, and his left on his hip. He has also another Portrait of a Man, whose left hand rests on a chair, while his right holds a glove.

=A Man in Oriental Costume by Van Vliet.=--Jan Joris van Vliet, born in Delft in 1610, and one of Rembrandt's pupils, can be studied here by An Old Man in Oriental Costume. This is only a bust; the hair is short, the moustache gray; and the costume consists of a black turban with gold ornaments, a crimson coat, black mantle, and a golden chain. His right hand rests on his chest.

=A Huntsman by Verkolje.=--Verkolje has a Portrait of a Huntsman seated beneath a tree. He is young, and wears a large black hat, a gray costume, and orange scarf. His undersleeves are white, his stockings brown, and his garters orange. His left hand rests on his hip, and his right holds a gun. Two hunting-dogs are by his side, and some dead rabbits. Trees occupy the background.

=Van der Werff's Portraits of himself and Others.=--Pieter van der Werff has portraits of W. B. Schefers and his wife, of Johannes Texelius and of himself. The painter stands with his elbow on a stone bal.u.s.trade, dressed in grayish blue embroidered with gold. A brown velvet cloak is thrown over his shoulder, and he holds his palette and brushes in his left hand.

=An Admiral and his Wife, by Van den Tempel.=--A. van den Tempel has An Admiral and his Wife, in which the former is dressed in gray and silver, and his wife in black and pink and jewels. She holds an orange in her hand; and in the distance a negro is seen with a dish of oranges. In the background a lifted curtain of crimson velvet reveals a warship from which a gun is being discharged.

=A Portrait by Zimmerman.=--J. W. G. Zimmerman has a Portrait of Mr.

Joost van Vollenhoven, Burgomaster of Rotterdam in 1864-81, dressed in the robes of office, his right hand holding a letter and his left resting on some books on the table.

=Other Portraits of Interest.=--Other portraits of interest are Adriaen Backer's Portrait of a Man; Hendrik Berckman's Portrait of Admiral Adriaen van Trappen; Portrait of Himself, by Gijsbertus Johannes van den Berg, and Portrait of his Wife with her son on her knee; C. Bisschop's Portrait of Prince Henry of the Netherlands, in the costume of the Royal Yacht Club; Ferdinand Bol's Portrait of a Woman (two), and Dirk Van der Waeijen; Cornelis Cels's Gijsbert Karel, Count of Hogendorp; Cornelius Janszoon van Ceulen's Portrait of a Gentleman, and Portrait of a Young Woman; P. van Champaigne's Portraits of two Artists; Jacobus Delff's Portrait of a Man; Albrecht Durer's Portrait of Erasmus; Anthonie van Dijck's Portraits of Charles I., King of England, Henrietta Maria, and Their Two Children; Gerbrand van den Eeckhout's Portrait of a Child; Robbert van Eysden's Portrait of J. F. Hoffman, Burgomaster of Rotterdam, 1845-66; Carel Fabritius's Portrait of a Man, dressed in black with open shirt showing his neck and chest; Govert Flinck's Portraits of Dirck Graswinckel, and his Sister, under a tree, in a landscape with ruins in the distance; George Gilles Haanen's Portrait of a Young Man; Frans Hals's Portrait of an Old Gentleman; Adriaen Hanneman's Portrait of Johan de Witt; Constantin Netscher's William III., King of England; Dionys van Nymegen's Willem van der Pot (1733) and Sara, his Wife (1733); Nicholaes Pieneman's William III., King of the Netherlands; David van der Plaes's Cornelis Tromp, and A Gentleman; Crispyn van den Queborn's Hartogh van Moerkerken; Jan van Scorel's A Young Man, and A Gentleman; Pieter van Slingelandt's Johannes van Crombrugge; Hendricus Turken's (1791-?) Margarethe Agnes de Vries; Adriaen Pietersz van de Venne's Prince Frederick Henry on Horseback with his Suite (_en grisaille_); and Abraham de Vries's A. A. Vroesen (1639), and An Old Woman (1644). Musscher's Portraits of Three Children, crowning the statue of a child with flowers, should also be noticed, as well as Jacob Gerritz Cuijp's Portraits of a General, a Lady of Distinction, and Three Children. The last, a boy and two little girls, are beautifully dressed, and are playing under the trees in a charming landscape, with several buildings, including a mill and a church-tower in the distance.

=Good Pictures of Social Life by Palamedesz.=--Anthonie Palamedesz (1601-73) was a painter of social life, _corps-de-gardes_, portraits, landscapes, and still life. His art belonged to the school of Frans Hals. The quality of his work is very unequal, but many of his interiors are full of life and color. He was such a good painter of figures in landscapes that his aid was much sought after by brother artists, notably B. van Ba.s.sen and A. de Lorme. In The Hague Gallery he has two works that show him at his best,--Music after Dinner, and Merry Company; also a Portrait of Martinus van Stavenisse, Knight of St. Michael.

=An Interior of High Life, by Palamedesz.=--The Rotterdam Gallery has An Interior of High Life by this artist. In an apartment hung with gilded leather several ladies and gentlemen are talking and playing musical instruments. In the foreground there is a lady dressed in blue with a light red tunic; next to her is a gentleman holding a guitar. On the left there is a lady with a sheet of music in her hand. She wears a white dress and a yellow tunic, and beside her is seated a gentleman. In the centre of the room there is a table covered with a red carpet, at which two persons are seated. Farther back in the room several groups of ladies and gentlemen are seen; and in the background a chimney-piece.

=A Musical Reunion, by Van Deelen.=--A Musical Reunion by Dirk van Deelen (1605-71) is a scene in high life. Six gentlemen and four ladies are in a hall paved with blue and white marble. A gentleman who turns his back to the spectator is seen in the foreground. He is dressed in black satin slashed with yellow, a black velvet cloak, yellow stockings, red-heeled shoes, lace collar, and large black hat. At the right a lady is leaning on a table with a red cloth. She wears a black-and-yellow flowered dress with a red tunic and large lace collar and sleeves. Near the table, on which are a guitar and some books of music, are four gentlemen, one of whom is without his hat. In the centre a lady dressed in green silk is playing the guitar, with her foot on a foot-warmer.

Beside her stand a gentleman and two ladies, one of whom wears a black dress with a yellow satin tunic and holds a book of music. In the background on the right there is a bed with green curtains and an open door flanked with columns at each side. On the left are two tall windows, and on the wall hang two male portraits.

=An Architectural Painting by Van Deelen.=--The Peristyle of a Building, by this artist, shows his love for cla.s.sic architecture. A stone bath with steps occupies the foreground, and two men enveloped in long cloaks talk with a woman who is seated on the steps. Near it is a statue of Hercules on a red marble pedestal. Many people are seen in a distant gallery through the columns.

=A Delightful Conversation Piece, by Ochtervelt.=--The Collation, by Jacob Ochtervelt, is one of those delightful "conversation pieces" so popular in the seventeenth century. A young woman in a yellow satin skirt and a red velvet jacket bordered with white fur is seated on a tabouret of green velvet with her back turned toward the spectator. Her left hand rests on her hip and her right holds a gla.s.s of wine. On her right is a table with an Oriental carpet upon which stands a flagon of wine. By its side is an officer in a blue costume and large blond wig, who is handing some oysters in a silver dish to the young woman.

=A Ball, by Francois Francken, Junior.=--Francois Vranckz, or Francken, the Younger (1581-1642), pupil of his father Francois Francken and a native of Antwerp, has here A Ball. In the foreground a gentleman and lady are beginning a dance surrounded by spectators; at the entrance of the hall on the right a servant comes in with wine, and farther down against the wall and under the windows is a long table served with refreshments. In the centre farther back two gentlemen are talking to a lady; on the left a platform with musicians; in the background a large chimney-piece between two windows.

=A Fine Interior, by Tilborch.=--Of Egidius, or Gilles, Tilborch (1625-78), a fine Interior (once attributed to Biset) hangs here. In a very rich room hung with gilded leather, and from the ceiling of which is suspended a copper chandelier ornamented with a two-headed eagle, a lady is seated before the mantelpiece near a table covered with a Smyrna rug. She is dressed in white, with a red petticoat, and some red bows on her breast. Around her are six children of different ages, including one in the arms of a servant. Opposite to her is a gentleman dressed in black with white sleeves, accompanied by a dog; a little behind is a servant with an inkstand. On the left an aged woman dressed in black is seen, and two ladies and a gentleman enter the chamber on the left. Over the chimney-piece is a beautifully painted landscape, and on the left against the wall a large _armoire_ or _kas_ of black wood ornamented with gold, above which hangs a large portrait.

=A Village Interior, by C. de Man.=--Cornelus de Man (1621-1706) painted portraits, churches, and social life. In The Hague Gallery he has a Peasants' Wedding, and here his qualities may be studied in A Village Interior. A joyous company of peasants, with a sprinkling of the better cla.s.s, are gathered in a big barn. In the centre, a couple are dancing,--the man holding aloft a pewter pot. On the right a group are playing "hot c.o.c.kles." In front, there is a dog asleep; on the right, a little girl with a hoop; and on the left, a peasant asleep on a barrel.

Farther back is a long table covered with food, at which several men and women are seated. A violinist sits on a barrel, and a guest is sitting on the table mimicking him with tongs; on the floor in front of him is an earthen pitcher with a pewter lid. In the background are two individuals, one with a drum. A black bird is on a perch close to the ceiling.

=Two Pictures of Rustic Life by Molenaer.=--Two pictures by Jan Miense Molenaer are owned by this gallery,--The Clarinet Player and Rustic Gaiety. The former represents a peasant's house, where a man with his foot resting on a stool is playing the clarinet; his audience consists of two peasants, one of whom is sitting and the other standing by the side of the fire.

Music is the feature of Rustic Gaiety also. A table with a green cover is set with pewter plates and bread; seated thereat is a peasant, dressed in green blouse and wearing a red cap, his face turned toward the spectator. His left hand rests on his leg and he holds a gla.s.s of wine in his right. Opposite is a woman singing and playing the guitar; a little farther away another woman, with a gla.s.s of wine in one hand and a jug in the other, is also singing. In the background a peasant, seated near a barrel, is lighting a pipe, and still farther back a man is playing a fiddle.

=A Village Interior, by Sorgh.=--Hendrik Maertinsz Sorgh, who died in Rotterdam in 1670, and who was a pupil of David Teniers, reflects his master in A Village Interior. Here we have the interior of a barn where five peasants are eating and drinking around a table, at which is also seated an old woman whose hands are resting on a jug. On the left is a brick oven, and utensils of various kinds hang on the wall. Many articles are scattered about, including a leather slipper, a wooden spoon, some mussel sh.e.l.ls, a tub of onions, etc. From the ceiling hangs a wicker bird-cage and in the foreground a c.o.c.k and hen are strutting about.

=The Market in Rotterdam, by Sorgh.=--Another picture represents an animated scene at The Market in Rotterdam. In the foreground a vegetable stall is placed against the _facade_ of a house. A woman carrying a copper pail is selecting some vegetables and disputing with the vender. Farther back more buyers and sellers are arguing; and the background is closed with some houses and the entrance to the Nieuwsteeg.

=A Village Interior, by Wyck.=--A Village Interior, by Thomas Wyck (1616-77), shows a room in which a woman is seated; a little boy kneeling has his head in her lap; by her side is a little girl, and other little girls are sitting on the floor; under the window on the left a child is sitting at a table with a red carpet; on the right, in the foreground, stands a barrel on which is a jug. A wooden stairway is seen in the background.

=Two Paintings ill.u.s.trating the Versatility of Quellinus.=--Erasmus Quellinus (1607-78) was a pupil of Rubens, and painted history, architecture, landscape, portraits, and religious subjects, like his master. He was a strong colorist and his draughtsmanship is excellent.

Two sides of his art are exhibited in The Ascension of the Virgin and A Woman in a Kitchen. The latter is a fine study of still life in the rendering of the various utensils. On the right a young woman with bare arms, a white cap, a red dress, and white tunic is represented down to the knees; on the left on the table and by its side are all sorts of pewter, copper, and earthenware utensils. Behind the table stands a young negress who is offering a bunch of cherries to the woman.

=A Fine Example of Kalff's Still-life Painting.=--Another study of still life is shown in The Village Kitchen, by Willem Kalff, a fine example of this master. In the background a woman is preparing vegetables, a man stands near a ladder with a basket filled with vegetables, and another woman is coming through an open door; but these figures are subordinate in interest to the pots, kettles, and pans of shining copper; the meat hanging from the ceiling; the bottles, the casks, milk jugs, white linen, beer, artichokes, onions, cabbages, and other vegetables and fruits variously arranged.

=Koninck's Famous Gold Weigher.=--Of single figures perhaps the most famous is by Salomon Koninck (1609-68?), pupil of N. Moijaert. The Gold Weigher, an old man with white hair and beard, is seated at a table. He wears a doublet of green velvet and gray fur, and a crimson velvet cap; he weighs the gold with the greatest care in a pair of scales which he holds in his right hand. He holds a piece of gold in his left hand also.

On the table, which is covered with a red cloth, are books, a sheet of paper, a box of weights, and a bag of gold. The light falls through a window on the left.

=Van der Neer's Guitar Player.=--The Guitar Player, by Eglon Hendrik van der Neer, is probably a portrait. Here we see a young woman dressed in a red satin skirt and a white satin jacket, seated by a clavecin. She is tuning a guitar; and not far away is a gentleman who has a gla.s.s of wine in his hand.