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Artwork

Portrait of David George van Lennep, Chief Merchant of the Dutch Factory at Smyrna (Izmir) and his Wife and Children

Antoine de Favray , 1770

Portrait of David George van Lennep, Chief Merchant of the Dutch Factory at Smyrna (Izmir) and his Wife and Children, by Antoine de Favray, oil, 1770
Portrait of David George van Lennep, Chief Merchant of the Dutch Factory at Smyrna (Izmir) and his Wife and Children, by Antoine de Favray, oil, 1770

Portrait of David George van Lennep, Chief Merchant of the Dutch Factory at Smyrna (Izmir) and his Wife and Children is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Antoine de Favray. It dates from 1770 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Technique & Style

The color palette is restrained yet harmonious, relying on muted earth tones punctuated by the crisp whites of lace and the deep blacks of the merchant’s coat.

The painting is executed in oil on canvas, a standard support for eighteenth-century European portraiture. The handling reflects the refined academic style associated with Antoine de Favray, characterized by smooth, blended brushwork and careful modeling of faces and fabrics. Light falls evenly across the sitters, emphasizing the satin and lace details of their attire while keeping the background subdued to focus attention on the figures.

The composition is arranged symmetrically around the seated merchant and his wife, with their children positioned to either side, conveying a sense of familial order and prosperity. The color palette is restrained yet harmonious, relying on muted earth tones punctuated by the crisp whites of lace and the deep blacks of the merchant’s coat.

History & Provenance

The portrait was created in 1770 by the artist Antoine de Favray. This oil-on-canvas work depicts David George van Lennep, identified as the Chief Merchant of the Dutch Factory at Smyrna, alongside his wife and children. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

The painting is held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it is inventoried as SK-C-1623.

It has been included in the museum’s long-term display of 18th-century Dutch portraits, as part of the permanent collection galleries devoted to the Dutch Republic’s overseas presence and familial portraiture of that period.

Overview

Antoine de Favray’s 1770 oil on canvas presents David George van Lennep, a Dutch chief merchant of the Smyrna factory, together with his wife and children. Executed in a Rococo idiom, the composition centers the family against a neutral backdrop, emphasizing their attire and status through subtle modelling of light and colour.

Subject & Meaning

The portrait records the domestic sphere of a prominent expatriate merchant family in the Ottoman port of Smyrna (today Izmir). Van Lennep stands centrally in a green coat, holding a document that may allude to his commercial duties, while his wife and offspring are arranged around him, symbolising familial unity and the transmission of wealth across generations.

Context

The portrait situates a Dutch mercantile household within the cosmopolitan environment of an Ottoman port city, illustrating the cross‑cultural interactions that characterised 18th‑century Mediterranean commerce. It also exemplifies the demand among expatriate elites for European portraiture that affirmed their social standing abroad.

Portrait of the Van Lennep Family, a Merchant Family in Izmir
Portrait of the Van Lennep Family, a Merchant Family in Izmir

Artist & collection

Portrait of Antoine de Favray

Artist

Antoine de Favray

Chevalier Antoine de Favray (French pronunciation:; 8 September 1706, Bagnolet – 9 February 1798, Malta) was a French painter noted for his portraits of personalities of the Ottoman Empire, as well as paintings of Grand…

Rijksmuseum

Museum

Rijksmuseum

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This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Rijksmuseum open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.In the collection of Rijksmuseum. Compiled & edited by , Editor & Founder.

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Frequently asked questions

Who painted Portrait of David George van Lennep, Chief Merchant of the Dutch Factory at Smyrna (Izmir) and his Wife and Children?

Portrait of David George van Lennep, Chief Merchant of the Dutch Factory at Smyrna (Izmir) and his Wife and Children was painted by Antoine de Favray in 1770-01-01.

Where can I see Portrait of David George van Lennep, Chief Merchant of the Dutch Factory at Smyrna (Izmir) and his Wife and Children?

Portrait of David George van Lennep, Chief Merchant of the Dutch Factory at Smyrna (Izmir) and his Wife and Children is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Portrait of David George van Lennep, Chief Merchant of the Dutch Factory at Smyrna (Izmir) and his Wife and Children?

Portrait of David George van Lennep, Chief Merchant of the Dutch Factory at Smyrna (Izmir) and his Wife and Children is associated with Rococo painting.

Can I buy a print of Portrait of David George van Lennep, Chief Merchant of the Dutch Factory at Smyrna (Izmir) and his Wife and Children?

Museum-quality prints of Portrait of David George van Lennep, Chief Merchant of the Dutch Factory at Smyrna (Izmir) and his Wife and Children are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.