Artwork

Clara Alewijn (1635-74). Daughter of Abraham Alewijn and Geertruid Hooftman

Clara Alewijn (1635-74). Daughter of Abraham Alewijn and Geertruid Hooftman is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Dirck van Santvoort. It dates from 1644 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Dirck van Santvoord’s 1644 oil portrait depicts Clara Alewijn, a young girl from a prominent Amsterdam family.

About this work

Technique & Style

The work is an oil painting on canvas measuring 122 cm by 89.5 cm, created in 1644 by Dirck van Santvoort. It portrays Clara Alewijn, daughter of Abraham Alewijn and Geertruid Hooftman, and belongs to the portrait genre within the Rijksmuseum's collection. The painting's formal qualities align with 17th-century Dutch portraiture, characterized by precise rendering and subdued palette.

History & Provenance

The portrait of Clara Alewijn was painted in 1644 by Dirck van Santvoort when the sitter was nine years old.

The portrait of Clara Alewijn was painted in 1644 by Dirck van Santvoort when the sitter was nine years old. The work is recorded in the collection of Dirk Margarethus Alewijn, Clara’s great-uncle, indicating a familial ownership structure rather than a commission from her immediate parents. The painting entered the Rijksmuseum as part of its holdings, where it remains located. Dimensions are 122 cm in height and 89.5 cm in width, consistent with the museum’s records.

Overview

Dirck van Santvoord’s 1644 oil portrait depicts Clara Alewijn, a young girl from a prominent Amsterdam family. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and presents the sitter seated amid richly textured fabrics, holding a floral‑adorned stick while a calm sheep stands nearby.

Subject & Meaning

Clara, born in 1635 to Abraham Alewijn and Geertruid Hooftman, is shown in an elaborate pink gown with gold‑trimmed buttons and a white lace collar. The inclusion of the sheep and the surrounding greenery may allude to pastoral innocence and the family’s affluence, linking the child’s virtue to rural symbolism.

Context

The work belongs to a period when portraiture served both commemorative and status functions among Amsterdam’s mercantile elite. Van Santvoord, active in the mid‑17th century, often combined realistic detail with symbolic elements, reflecting contemporary tastes for refined domestic representation.