Oil on copper
Presumably Austria, Vienna, 1679
Jacob Toorenvliet (c. 1635-1719) - Dutch portrait and genre painter, draftsman and etcher
Each Signed and dated lower right and upper right ‘JToorenvliet Fc 1679’
We thank Ellis Dullaart, Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), The Hague, for the scientific support. The work is entered in the database RKDImages under number 258042 and 258043
Dimensions: 18 x 14 cm
Frame: 31.5 x 27 cm
Good Condition
Provenance: Art dealer Johnny van Haeften, London, 1989; Sale Christie’s, New York, 31 May 1990, lot. 98; Sale Dorotheum, Vienna, 6 June 1991, lot 68; private collection, Netherlands by 2002; private collection, South Africa
Companion pieces with single figures in half-length are a well-known subjects of the painter, of which he created quite a number during the 1660s and 70s

Jacob Toorenvliets paintings preferably show half-length portraits, combined with genre scenes from the rural or upper classes, usually in a moment of gesturing. Also characteristic is a distinct light and dark contrast. Quite famous were his companion pieces mostly in a juxtaposition of old versus young, as it is presented in our paintings of the ‘Ols Scholar’ and ‘Young Scholar’.

Literature: Susanne H. Karau, Leben und Werk des Leidener Malers Jacob Toorenvliet (1640-1719), Berlin 2002, No. A99 and A100

Condition:

Overall good condition. Tiny retouching in the armrest of ancient scholars’s chair. The image of the young scholar shows some partly retouched abrasions in the central bottom edge and small blemishes in the edges/corners, otherwise overall of good impression. The image dimensions are each 18 x 14 cm, the framed dimensions 31.5 x 27 cm.



Jacob Toorenvliet (c. 1635-1719)

Toorenvliet was born in Leiden, Holland. His father was a renowned drawing instructor. Presumably in 1659, Toorenvliet began his grand tour, a European trip typically undertaken by upper class men. He continued this pattern of traveling throughout his career, working in multiple cities such as Rome, Venice, and his birthplace, Leiden. He also lived in Vienna for some time during the 1670s. Toorenvliet was involved in several artists’ organizations including the Guild of Saint Luke. In 1694 he helped to establish a Leiden Drawing Academy, an extension of the Guild of Saint Luke. The artist is most associated with the Dutch Golden Age, a period categorized by an absence of religious imagery and a large variety of genres. Toorenvliet himself was part of the Fijnschilders, a group who attempted to depict realistic situations in their artwork. His work can be found in institutions worldwide, including the Rijksmuseum, the Louvre, the Courtauld Institute of Art, and Harvard Art Museums.

Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance.