Artwork
Portrait of Grietje Pietersdr Codde (d. 1607), wife of Jacob Bas
Portrait of Grietje Pietersdr Codde (d. 1607), wife of Jacob Bas is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Adriaen Thomasz. Key. It is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. This 1594 oil portrait by Adriaen Thomasz.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Her attire and the intimate domestic setting emphasize her respectable status and role within her household.
The painting shows Grietje Pietersdr Codde, a married woman from a prominent Amsterdam family, presented in a style typical of late 16th-century Dutch portraiture. Her attire and the intimate domestic setting emphasize her respectable status and role within her household. The work reflects contemporary values of family lineage and social standing among the merchant class.
The portrait was created by Adriaen Thomasz. Key in 1586 using oil on panel and is housed in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The depiction of Grietje in fine dress, set within a modest interior, symbolizes both her family's social position and the importance of marital identity for women of her class during the late Renaissance period.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1586 by Adriaen Thomasz. Key, this portrait is an oil painting on panel. The work measures 48.5 cm in height and 35.5 cm in width.
As a formal portrait, it depicts Grietje Pietersdr Codde, adhering to the genre conventions of late sixteenth-century Netherlandish portraiture through its use of oil pigments applied to a wooden support.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1586 by Adriaen Thomasz. Key as an oil portrait on panel, commissioned to depict Grietje Pietersdr Codde, wife of Jacob Bas, shortly before her death in 1607. It entered the collection of Johanna Balguerie-Van Rijswijk and is now held by the Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Museum in Amsterdam.
The work measures 48.5 cm in height and 35.5 cm in width, reflecting its original scale as recorded in the museum's documentation.
The painting is held by the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, where it is recorded under the collection’s care.
It carries the Rijksmuseum inventory number SK-C-1437. The work was included in the exhibition “Meesters van het Nederlandse portret 1500–1650,” held at the Rijksmuseum in 1956.
Legacy
The portrait remained in a private collection before being acquired by the Rijksmuseum, where it entered the museum's holdings through the bequest of Johanna Balguerie-Van Rijswijk. Its formal composition and psychological depth contributed to the development of Dutch portraiture in the early 17th century, influencing later artists working within the same civic and domestic patronage networks. The work is frequently cited in studies of Rijksmuseum's early portrait collection as an example of pre‑Rembrandtian realism and as a reference point for understanding the evolution of marital portraiture in the Dutch Republic.
Overview
This 1594 oil portrait by Adriaen Thomasz. Key depicts Grietje Pietersdr Codde, wife of Jacob Bas, set against a dark background that accentuates her calm, slightly smiling figure.
Context
This portrait was produced during the Northern Renaissance, a period characterized by the emergence of highly detailed and realistic art forms. Key's innovative approach and technical prowess positioned him as a significant figure in this artistic movement.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Adriaen Thomasz. Key (c. 1544 in Antwerp – after 1589 in Antwerp) was a Flemish painter of portraits and religious paintings, a draughtsman and a printmaker. He worked for a while in the Antwerp workshop of the…
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