Artwork
Elisabeth van Kessel (1640-1717). Wife of Willem Jacobsz Baert
Elisabeth van Kessel (1640-1717). Wife of Willem Jacobsz Baert is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Caesar van Everdingen. It dates from 1671 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The portrait shows Elisabeth van Kessel in conventional 17th-century Dutch attire, rendered in oil on canvas. Her pose and clothing indicate marital status and social standing within the merchant class, reflecting contemporary Dutch portrait conventions that emphasized family lineage and domestic virtue.
Technique & Style
The portrait of Elisabeth van Kessel was executed in oil paint on a canvas support. Created in 1671 by Caesar van Everdingen, the work measures 109 cm in height and 90 cm in width. As a formal portrait, the piece adheres to the conventions of the genre, utilizing the durable combination of oil and canvas typical of the period's high-quality portraiture.
History & Provenance
No specific exhibition history is documented in the provided sources beyond its inclusion in the Rijksmuseum's permanent collection.
Elisabeth van Kessel (1640-1717), wife of Willem Jacobsz Baert, was painted by Caesar van Everdingen in 1671 as an oil-on-canvas portrait now held by the Rijksmuseum. The work entered the collection of Jan Hendrik Cremer before being acquired by the museum and remains part of its holdings today.
The portrait of Elisabeth van Kessel is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The work was previously owned by Jan Hendrik Cremer before entering the museum's holdings. The painting has been cataloged with an accession date of January 1, 1671, corresponding to its creation year.
No specific exhibition history is documented in the provided sources beyond its inclusion in the Rijksmuseum's permanent collection.
Context
Elisabeth van Kessel (1640-1717), depicted in a 1671 portrait by Caesar van Everdingen, occupied a peripheral position within Dutch Golden Age portraiture, primarily known through her marriage to merchant Willem Jacobsz Baert. The work, housed in the Rijksmuseum and originally owned by Jan Hendrik Cremer, reflects the era's focus on bourgeois identity through formalized representation, though it lacks significant contemporary critical discourse. Modern scholarship situates her within the broader context of 17th-century Dutch portraiture, emphasizing the stylistic conventions of the period rather than individual artistic innovation, as seen in collections like the Rijksmuseum's holdings of related works.
Overview
This 1671 oil painting by Caesar van Everdingen depicts Elisabeth van Kessel, the wife of Willem Jacobsz Baert. It is a representative work of the Dutch Golden Age portrait tradition.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Cesar Pietersz, or Cesar Boetius van Everdingen (1616/17 – buried 13 October 1678), older brother of Allart van Everdingen and Jan van Everdingen, was a Dutch Golden Age portrait and history painter.
