Artwork

The Meebeeck Crywagen family near the gate of their country home on the Uitweg near Amsterdam

The Meebeeck Crywagen family near the gate of their country home on the Uitweg near Amsterdam is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jacob van Loo. It dates from 1642 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

As a work of the portrait genre, the piece serves to document the likeness and social standing of this specific household within their property setting.

This 1642 oil painting by Jacob van Loo functions as a group portrait depicting the Meebeeck Crywagen family. The composition situates the sitters outdoors near the gate of their country estate located on the Uitweg, close to Amsterdam. A horse is included within the scene alongside the family members, contributing to the portrayal of their domestic environment.

As a work of the portrait genre, the piece serves to document the likeness and social standing of this specific household within their property setting.

Technique & Style

The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, a portrait genre rendered in the mid-17th century. Jacob van Loo depicts the Meebeeck Crywagen family positioned near the gate of their country home on the Uitweg near Amsterdam, employing oil paint to render the family and a horse. The composition is balanced by the architectural framing of the gate and the surrounding landscape, reflecting the stylistic conventions of Dutch portraiture of the period.

Formal qualities include a restrained palette, careful modeling of light on fabric and skin, and a compositional focus on the interaction between the figures and the gate, conveying both narrative detail and social presence.

History & Provenance

The Meebeeck Crywagen family near the gate of their country home on the Uitweg near Amsterdam was painted in 1642 by Jacob van Loo in oil on canvas. The work, a portrait measuring 100 cm in height and 133.5 cm in width, depicts the family alongside a horse and is recorded as part of the holdings of both the Rijksmuseum and the Amsterdam Museum. No earlier ownership or commission details are provided in the available sources.

Overview

Jacob van Loo’s 1642 oil painting, titled The Meebeeck Crywagen family near the gate of their country home on the Uitweg near Amsterdam, presents a domestic scene of a seven‑member family gathered before a modest brick house. The work belongs to the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies the artist’s activity during the Dutch Golden Age.

Context

Jacob van Loo was noted in his lifetime for groupings of figures in mythological and biblical narratives, and his skill in rendering the human form was praised as surpassing that of his contemporary Rembrandt. This portrait, while secular, demonstrates his ability to convey intimate domestic interaction within the broader tradition of Dutch Golden Age portraiture.