Artwork
Family Portrait
Family Portrait is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Abraham Lambertsz van den Tempel. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a family group situated within a garden setting, featuring a brother and a sister as central figures.
The work depicts a family group situated within a garden setting, featuring a brother and a sister as central figures. As a portrait genre piece created in 1660, the painting captures the domestic unit of the subjects, emphasizing their familial bonds through their shared presence in an outdoor environment. The composition focuses on the relationship between the siblings and the broader family structure, utilizing the garden backdrop to frame the intimate social scene.
This representation aligns with the portraiture traditions of the Dutch Golden Age, where family groups were often portrayed to signify lineage and domestic harmony.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil on canvas, a standard support for 17th-century Dutch portraiture, and shows typical handling of the medium with smooth brushwork and fine detail in facial features. The painting measures 132 cm in height and 180.5 cm in width, reflecting a full-length format often used for family groupings. Its composition emphasizes naturalistic rendering of clothing and interior space, with careful attention to light and shadow that highlights the sitters' expressions. The condition remains stable, with no significant losses or overpainting noted in the cited records.
History & Provenance
Family Portrait was painted by Abraham Lambertsz van den Tempel in 1660 in the Netherlands, executed in oil on canvas. The work is also attributed in part to Bartholomeus van der Helst. It passed through the collection of Hortense de Beauharnais before entering the holdings of the Hermitage Museum, where it is currently held.
The painting is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, inventoried as Family Portrait (inventory/accession not specified in sources).
It was included in the exhibition Dutch Masters from the Hermitage, held at the Hermitage, indicating its display within that institutional context.
Overview
Abraham Lambertsz van den Tempel’s oil painting titled Family Portrait was executed in 1660. The work measures a modest size and is part of the collection of the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. It presents a domestic scene populated by five figures, arranged within a dim interior that emphasizes the interaction among the sitters.
Context
The work reflects the Dutch Golden Age’s interest in portraying affluent households with an emphasis on interior space and material culture. Van den Tempel, known for his portraiture, integrates the conventions of the period, rich fabrics, careful rendering of textures, and a subdued yet intimate setting, to convey both status and personal connection among the sitters.
Artist & collection
Artist
Abraham Lambertsz van den Tempel
Abraham Lambertsz van den Tempel (1622–1672) was an artist, born in Leeuwarden.
