Jürgen Ovens
Encyclopedia
Jürgen Ovens also known as Georg, or Jurriaen Ovens whilst in the Netherlands, was a portrait painter from North Frisia
and, according to Arnold Houbraken
, a pupil of Rembrandt. He is best known for his painting in the city hall of Amsterdam
and paintings for the Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp for whom he worked for more than 30 years, also as an art dealer.
, Duchy of Schleswig. Since 1640 he worked for Hendrick van Uylenburgh
with Govaert Flinck in the Sint Antoniesbreestraat
. It has been suggested he went to Italy between 1643 and 1649, but there is no evidence. Until 1651, he lived in Amsterdam, then from May 1651 he went back to Schleswig-Holstein
, claimed by Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
. In 1652 he married Maria Jens Martens (daughter of a rich Tönning alderman) in Friedrichstadt
. His father-in-law gave him 60,000 Thaler, but demanded that he settle down nearby.
In 1654 Ovens spent a few weeks in Stockholm
to paint the marriage between Charles X Gustav and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp
. In 1657 Ovens travelled to Amsterdam because of a war between the Swedish and the Danish
. He cooperated with Flinck. Ovens became a citizen of Amsterdam in order to get a job, as the rules of guilds were very strict. Ovens was appreciated for his portraits and painted Nicolaes Tulp
twice, his daughter Margaretha Tulp, her brother Dirk
and his wife Anna Burgh. He also painted a portrait of the parents of Godert de Ginkell, 1st Earl of Athlone
, Comenius
, Maarten Tromp
, Charles II of England
, Colonel John Hutchinson , Adam Olearius
, three times Christina of Sweden
, Jacoba Bicker, Jacques Specx
, Lucia Wijbrants
, Dirck Kerckring and twice Giuseppe Francesco Borri
, an eye doctor, charlatan
and alchemist
.
Ovens was living in a house in the Jordaan
with a large studio under the roof. He rented out the cellar as a public house, just like Flinck did, who used to own it and died the year before. Gerrit van Uylenburgh
bought the house next door, also owned by Flinck. Johannes Lingelbach
was a friend and a witness when his children were baptized in the Lutheran church. In 1661 Ovens was asked to finish a painting begun by Flinck. The painting had to be placed in the town hall, within a few days, when Rembrandt's painting The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis
was rejected. Ovens was paid 48 guilders, very little compared to the others, but still a good salary in those days.
Ovens returned to Friedrichstadt at the instruction of Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
, as one of the richest inhabitants. From 1674 to 1675, he lived again in Holland and painted Michiel de Ruyter
and Joan Huydecoper van Maarsseveen
. After returning to Holstein
he painted the altarpiece of St. Christopher's in Friedrichstadt, painting himself in its top right section. His grave is also in the church.
. A self-portrait may be seen in the Laurentius-Kirche in Tönning. Further works by Ovens can be found in the collections of the Schleswig-Holsteinischen Landesmuseums at the Schloss Gottorf
. He made 45 paintings for the Amalienburg in Gottorf. The Earl of Arundel
(or his grandmother Aletheia Talbot?) owned seventeen paintings by Ovens, belonging to a collection of 78 paintings which were sold on September 26, 1684 in Amsterdam. According to Schmidt there is nothing German in his paintings and he belongs to the Dutch School
of painting.
North Frisia
North Frisia or Northern Friesland is the northernmost portion of Frisia, located primarily in Germany between the rivers Eider and Wiedau/Vidå. It includes a number of islands, e.g., Sylt, Föhr, Amrum, Nordstrand, and Heligoland.-History:...
and, according to Arnold Houbraken
Arnold Houbraken
Arnold Houbraken was a Dutch painter and writer from Dordrecht, now remembered mainly as a biographer of artists from the Dutch Golden Age. He had ten children. His son Jacobus Houbraken was an engraver of portraits and book illustrations, including books by his father...
, a pupil of Rembrandt. He is best known for his painting in the city hall of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and paintings for the Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp for whom he worked for more than 30 years, also as an art dealer.
Life
Ovens was the son of the farmer and alderman Ove Broders and Agneta Ovens (also called Broders). He grew up in in TönningTönning
Tönning is a town in the district of Nordfriesland in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. During the Great Northern War, Tönning was besieged twice.-Geography:...
, Duchy of Schleswig. Since 1640 he worked for Hendrick van Uylenburgh
Hendrick van Uylenburgh
Hendrick van Uylenburgh was an influential Dutch Golden Age art dealer who helped launch the careers of Rembrandt, Govert Flinck, Ferdinand Bol and other painters....
with Govaert Flinck in the Sint Antoniesbreestraat
Sint Antoniesbreestraat
The Sint Antoniesbreestraat is a street in the centre of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The street runs south from Nieuwmarkt square to the Sint Antoniesluis sluice gates....
. It has been suggested he went to Italy between 1643 and 1649, but there is no evidence. Until 1651, he lived in Amsterdam, then from May 1651 he went back to Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
, claimed by Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
Frederick III of Holstein-Gottorp was a Duke of Holstein-Gottorp.He was the elder son of Duke Johann Adolf of Holstein-Gottorp and Augusta of Denmark. His mother was a daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark....
. In 1652 he married Maria Jens Martens (daughter of a rich Tönning alderman) in Friedrichstadt
Friedrichstadt
Friedrichstadt is a town in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the river Eider approx. 12 km south of Husum. It was founded in 1621 by Dutch settlers...
. His father-in-law gave him 60,000 Thaler, but demanded that he settle down nearby.
In 1654 Ovens spent a few weeks in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
to paint the marriage between Charles X Gustav and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp
Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp
Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp was the queen consort of King Charles X of Sweden and queen mother of King Charles XI...
. In 1657 Ovens travelled to Amsterdam because of a war between the Swedish and the Danish
Dano-Swedish War (1657-1658)
The Dano-Swedish War of 1657–58 was a war between Sweden and Denmark. In 1657 Charles X of Sweden and his Swedish army was bogged down in Poland. Frederick III saw this as an opportunity to recover the territories lost in 1645 and attacked Sweden...
. He cooperated with Flinck. Ovens became a citizen of Amsterdam in order to get a job, as the rules of guilds were very strict. Ovens was appreciated for his portraits and painted Nicolaes Tulp
Nicolaes Tulp
Nicolaes Tulp was a Dutch surgeon and mayor of Amsterdam. Tulp was well known for his upstanding moral character.-Life:...
twice, his daughter Margaretha Tulp, her brother Dirk
Dirck Tulp
Dirck or Diederik Tulp was the son of the surgeon professor Nicolaes Tulp and involved in the Dutch East India Company and the Civic guard...
and his wife Anna Burgh. He also painted a portrait of the parents of Godert de Ginkell, 1st Earl of Athlone
Godert de Ginkell, 1st Earl of Athlone
Godert de Ginkell, 1st Earl of Athlone, or in his own country of the Netherlands born Baron Godard van Reede was a Dutch general in the service of England....
, Comenius
Comenius
John Amos Comenius ; ; Latinized: Iohannes Amos Comenius) was a Czech teacher, educator, and writer. He served as the last bishop of Unity of the Brethren, and became a religious refugee and one of the earliest champions of universal education, a concept eventually set forth in his book Didactica...
, Maarten Tromp
Maarten Tromp
Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp was an officer and later admiral in the Dutch navy. His first name is also spelled as Maerten.-Early life:...
, Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, Colonel John Hutchinson , Adam Olearius
Adam Olearius
Adam Olearius , born Adam Ölschläger or Oehlschlaeger, was a German scholar, mathematician, geographer and librarian...
, three times Christina of Sweden
Christina of Sweden
Christina , later adopted the name Christina Alexandra, was Queen regnant of Swedes, Goths and Vandals, Grand Princess of Finland, and Duchess of Ingria, Estonia, Livonia and Karelia, from 1633 to 1654. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King Gustav II Adolph and his wife Maria Eleonora...
, Jacoba Bicker, Jacques Specx
Jacques Specx
Jacques Specx was a Dutch merchant, who founded the trade on Japan and Korea in 1609. Jacques Specx received the support of William Adams to obtain extensive trading rights from the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu on August 24, 1609, which allowed him to establish a trading factory in Hirado on September...
, Lucia Wijbrants
Lucia Wijbrants
Lucia Wijbrants or Wybrants was the daughter of Johannes Wijbrants, a silk merchant, whose ancestors had moved from Stavoren to Antwerp....
, Dirck Kerckring and twice Giuseppe Francesco Borri
Giuseppe Francesco Borri
Giuseppe Francesco Borri was an alchemist, prophet and doctor.- Education :In 1644, together with his brother, Borri entered a Jesuit seminary in Rome. There he was taught by the Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher, who had an important influence on him...
, an eye doctor, charlatan
Charlatan
A charlatan is a person practicing quackery or some similar confidence trick in order to obtain money, fame or other advantages via some form of pretense or deception....
and alchemist
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
.
Ovens was living in a house in the Jordaan
Jordaan
The Jordaan is a district of the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The area is bordered by the Lijnbaansgracht canal to the west, the Prinsengracht to the east, the Brouwersgracht to the north and the Leidsegracht to the south...
with a large studio under the roof. He rented out the cellar as a public house, just like Flinck did, who used to own it and died the year before. Gerrit van Uylenburgh
Gerrit van Uylenburgh
Gerrit van Uylenburgh , or Gerrit Uylenburgh, was a Dutch Golden Age painter and art-dealer. He was the eldest son of Hendrick van Uylenburgh and took over the family art-dealing business after Hendrick's death and burial in the Westerkerk church in 1661...
bought the house next door, also owned by Flinck. Johannes Lingelbach
Johannes Lingelbach
Johannes Lingelbach or Johann, , was a Dutch Golden Age painter, associated with the second generation of Bambocciate, a group of genre painters working in Rome from 1625 - 1700.-Biography:...
was a friend and a witness when his children were baptized in the Lutheran church. In 1661 Ovens was asked to finish a painting begun by Flinck. The painting had to be placed in the town hall, within a few days, when Rembrandt's painting The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis
The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis
The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis is a 1661–62 oil painting by the Dutch painter Rembrandt, which was originally the largest he ever painted, at around five-by-five metres in the shape of a lunette. The painting was commissioned by the Amsterdam city council for the Town Hall. After the work had...
was rejected. Ovens was paid 48 guilders, very little compared to the others, but still a good salary in those days.
Ovens returned to Friedrichstadt at the instruction of Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
Christian Albert was a duke of Holstein-Gottorp and bishop of Lübeck.He was a son of Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, and his wife Princess Marie Elisabeth of Saxony. Christian Albertbecame duke when his father died in the Castle Tönning, besieged by the King Christian V of Denmark...
, as one of the richest inhabitants. From 1674 to 1675, he lived again in Holland and painted Michiel de Ruyter
Michiel de Ruyter
Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter is the most famous and one of the most skilled admirals in Dutch history. De Ruyter is most famous for his role in the Anglo-Dutch Wars of the 17th century. He fought the English and French and scored several major victories against them, the best known probably...
and Joan Huydecoper van Maarsseveen
Joan Huydecoper II
Joan Huydecoper van Maarsseveen II was the eldest son of burgomaster Joan Huydecoper van Maarsseveen I and the brother-in-law of the collector Jan J. Hinlopen and the sheriff Jacob Boreel. He was mayor of Amsterdam for 13 terms between 1673 and 1693...
. After returning to Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
he painted the altarpiece of St. Christopher's in Friedrichstadt, painting himself in its top right section. His grave is also in the church.
Works
Ovens' best-known work is the Blue Madonna in Schleswig CathedralSchleswig Cathedral
Schleswig Cathedral , officially the Cathedral of St. Peter at Schleswig , is the main church of Schleswig and was the cathedral of the Bishop of Schleswig until the diocese was dissolved in 1624...
. A self-portrait may be seen in the Laurentius-Kirche in Tönning. Further works by Ovens can be found in the collections of the Schleswig-Holsteinischen Landesmuseums at the Schloss Gottorf
Gottorp
Gottorf Castle is a castle and estate in the city of Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the ancestral home of the Holstein-Gottorp branch of the House of Oldenburg...
. He made 45 paintings for the Amalienburg in Gottorf. The Earl of Arundel
Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk
Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk was the second son of Henry Howard, 22nd Earl of Arundel and Lady Elizabeth Stuart. He succeeded his brother Thomas Howard, 5th Duke of Norfolk after his death in 1677...
(or his grandmother Aletheia Talbot?) owned seventeen paintings by Ovens, belonging to a collection of 78 paintings which were sold on September 26, 1684 in Amsterdam. According to Schmidt there is nothing German in his paintings and he belongs to the Dutch School
Dutch School (painting)
The Dutch School were painters in the Netherlands from the early Renaissance to the Baroque. It includes Early Netherlandish and Dutch Renaissance artists active in the northern Low Countries and, later, Dutch Golden Age painting in the United Provinces.Many painters, sculptors and architects of...
of painting.
External links
- Works by Jürgen Ovens
- Rijksmuseum on Jürgen Ovens
- Unfinished Claudius Civilis by Ovens
- Amsterdam City Archives: records on his two children and wife
- http://www.martinschlu.de/kulturgeschichte/neunzehntes/vormaerz/storm/1876/ovens.htmBiography in German with links to a novel by Theodor StormTheodor StormHans Theodor Woldsen Storm , commonly known as Theodor Storm, was a German writer.-Life:Storm was born in Husum, at the west coast of Schleswig than an independent duchy and ruled by the king of Denmark...
] - A painting of a young woman as Flora (goddess)
- Portrait of a young lady
- Painting by Ovens of John Hutchinson. Colonel Hutchinson was one of the major figures in the English Civil War. He was based in Nottingham.