Frisian School early 17th century

Essay:

This remarkably beautiful and well-preserved portrait is presently the only known work by the hand of this unknown artist. It is extremely likely that the artist and sitter are Frisian and the clothing of the sitter help to date the work to the early 1620s.

The sitter was for some years thought represent the Frislander Catharina van Scheltinga (1598 - 1631). Catharina was the daughter of Dirck Lieuwes van Scheltinga (1560 - 1628) Deputy and Attorney General of the Court of Friesland and his second wife Doedt van Aysma (? - 1603). This identification was first suggested by Dr. Jonkheer van Kretschmar, Director of the Stichting Iconographisch Bureau, The Hague (correspondence, 1979).

Dr Carla van de Puttelaar disagrees with Dr Kretschmar and cannot see a link between a known portrait of Catharina in the Museum van Loon, Amsterdam, and the sitter in the present portrait. Dr Puttelaar agrees that the portrait is Frisian and that it was painted around 1620-25. She adds that it was a convention in Frisian portraiture to position a female sitter on the left of the portrait and that the absence of a coat of arms indicates that the sitter is unmarried.

The sitter has her wealth on conspicuous display; her exquisitely painted jewellery, diadem lace cap, and gold chain around a black stomacher indicate that she is a lady of wealth. Of particular interest is the decorative jewelled pin in her hair. This is a haarnaald or 'hairneedle', it is a rare item to see in Dutch portraits. This long jewelled needle would pin the hair in place at the back of the head (probably worn in a bun) and secure the lace cap. They were mainly worn in the northern Dutch provinces.

We are grateful to Dr Carla van de Puttelaar for her assistance in cataloguing this artwork.

Provenance:

Collection of J.A. Baron de Smeth, Belgium (1924-2017).