Portrait of the family Hinlopen
Encyclopedia
There is some confusion among art historians about the history of the Portrait of the Family Hinlopen painting by Metsu. The painting is in the Berlin Gemäldegalerie
. It is not clear if this painting is a genre work or a portrait
.
Who are the sitters? Is the man dressed in black Jan J. Hinlopen or is it Gillis Valckenier
?
In his diary Jan J. Hinlopen made distinct notes about his marriage and family births, dates of baptisms in the Westerkerk
, and funerals.
Hinlopen and Leonore Huydecoper, the sister of Joan Huydecoper
, had four children by 1663:
In the second half of 1663 two members of the family died. Jan J. Hinlopen lost his youngest daughter, Geertrui, who died of measles
on August 14. On October 28 his wife had a miscarriage. The next day, around ten in the evening, his servant, accompanied by two other men, most probably the undertakers, buried a small coffin in the church. On November 1, his wife Leonora died at 5.30 in the morning, after having been ill for seven days. His only son Jacob died at Pijnenburg, Jan's and Leonora's country estate. Jacob was kept isolated and it is likely he died of the plague.
After the Geelvinck
family ceased to exist in the early 19th century, the traces to the real origins were lost. The Swiss family Tschiffely sold the painting in 1832. In the end of the 19th century it was known as depicting the Familie des Kaufmanns Gelfing. In 1907 the known Dutch art-historian Hofstede de Groot mentioned the parrot
in the painting of the Familie Geelvinck. Remarkably he described the painting as langweilig (= boring). In 1984 also Bob Haak describes it as depicting the Geelvinck family.
In 1976 Van Eeghen renamed the painting to De familie van burgemeester Gillis Valckenier
, and dated it in 1657. This was mainly based on the bird in the painting, which van Eeghen imagined to be a falcon
. Irene Groeneweg reasons that the bird, held by the boy, is a Cuban Amazon parrot. Another reason to doubt the classification is that, according to the Amsterdam City Archives, burgomaster Gillis Valckenier
had only three children at the time of the paintings creation.
Judith van Gent discovered that there was a resemblance with Hinlopen's on the works of Bartholomeus van der Helst
and the family, depicted by Metsu on the painting in Berlin. Additionally she discovered support for her view in Hinlopens will. Nevertheless the painting is still and erroneously referred to as: The Family of burgomaster Gillis Valckenier.
Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
The Gemäldegalerie is an art museum in Berlin, Germany. It holds one of the world's leading collections of European art from the 13th to the 18th centuries. It is located on Kulturforum west of Potsdamer Platz. Its collection includes masterpieces from such artists as Albrecht Dürer, Lucas...
. It is not clear if this painting is a genre work or a portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
.
Who are the sitters? Is the man dressed in black Jan J. Hinlopen or is it Gillis Valckenier
Gillis Valckenier
Gillis Valckenier was nine years burgomaster of Amsterdam: in 1665, 1666, 1668, 1670, 1673, 1674, 1676, 1678, 1679. He was a strong personality, but changing allies as a real opportunist....
?
In his diary Jan J. Hinlopen made distinct notes about his marriage and family births, dates of baptisms in the Westerkerk
Westerkerk
The Westerkerk is a church of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands denomination in Amsterdam, built in 1620-1631 after a design by Hendrick de Keyser. It is next to Amsterdam's Jordaan district, on the bank of the Prinsengracht canal....
, and funerals.
Hinlopen and Leonore Huydecoper, the sister of Joan Huydecoper
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...
, had four children by 1663:
- Jacob (October 20, 1658 – Lage VuurscheLage VuurscheLage Vuursche is a village in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is a part of the municipality of Baarn, and lies about 5 km west of Soest, in the middle of the forest. Drakestein, the former residence of Queen Beatrix, is situated just east of the village.In 2001, the village of Lage-Vuursche...
, July 12, 1664), - Johanna Maria (April 16, 1659 – June 15, 1706),
- Sara (June 12, 1660 – June 16, 1749), and
- Geertrui (January 1, 1662 – August 14, 1663).
In the second half of 1663 two members of the family died. Jan J. Hinlopen lost his youngest daughter, Geertrui, who died of measles
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
on August 14. On October 28 his wife had a miscarriage. The next day, around ten in the evening, his servant, accompanied by two other men, most probably the undertakers, buried a small coffin in the church. On November 1, his wife Leonora died at 5.30 in the morning, after having been ill for seven days. His only son Jacob died at Pijnenburg, Jan's and Leonora's country estate. Jacob was kept isolated and it is likely he died of the plague.
Provenance
Geelvinck
Geelvinck was a Dutch surname. The family died out in the early 19th century.Some notable members of the family include:* Jan Cornelis Geelvinck, the son of a merchant in beans and peas, and involved in the West India Company...
family ceased to exist in the early 19th century, the traces to the real origins were lost. The Swiss family Tschiffely sold the painting in 1832. In the end of the 19th century it was known as depicting the Familie des Kaufmanns Gelfing. In 1907 the known Dutch art-historian Hofstede de Groot mentioned the parrot
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
in the painting of the Familie Geelvinck. Remarkably he described the painting as langweilig (= boring). In 1984 also Bob Haak describes it as depicting the Geelvinck family.
In 1976 Van Eeghen renamed the painting to De familie van burgemeester Gillis Valckenier
Gillis Valckenier
Gillis Valckenier was nine years burgomaster of Amsterdam: in 1665, 1666, 1668, 1670, 1673, 1674, 1676, 1678, 1679. He was a strong personality, but changing allies as a real opportunist....
, and dated it in 1657. This was mainly based on the bird in the painting, which van Eeghen imagined to be a falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
. Irene Groeneweg reasons that the bird, held by the boy, is a Cuban Amazon parrot. Another reason to doubt the classification is that, according to the Amsterdam City Archives, burgomaster Gillis Valckenier
Gillis Valckenier
Gillis Valckenier was nine years burgomaster of Amsterdam: in 1665, 1666, 1668, 1670, 1673, 1674, 1676, 1678, 1679. He was a strong personality, but changing allies as a real opportunist....
had only three children at the time of the paintings creation.
Judith van Gent discovered that there was a resemblance with Hinlopen's on the works of Bartholomeus van der Helst
Bartholomeus van der Helst
Bartholomeus van der Helst was a Dutch portrait painter.-Biography:Born in Haarlem, the son of a Haarlem innkeeper, Van der Helst moved to Amsterdam some time before 1636, for he was married there in that year...
and the family, depicted by Metsu on the painting in Berlin. Additionally she discovered support for her view in Hinlopens will. Nevertheless the painting is still and erroneously referred to as: The Family of burgomaster Gillis Valckenier.