Artwork

Self-portrait of the Painter with his Family, Jacob Willemsz Delff i (ca. 1540/45-1601)

Self-portrait of the Painter with his Family, Jacob Willemsz Delff i (ca. 1540/45-1601) is an unspecified painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jacob Willemsz. Delff. It dates from 1594 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The inclusion of the entire family unit underscores the importance of the artistic dynasty in Delft during the late sixteenth century.

Painted in 1594, the work depicts the artist Jacob Willemsz. Delff I alongside his wife, Maria Joachimsdr Nagel, and their sons. The composition serves as a visual testament to a family of artists, featuring his sons Cornelis, Rochus, and Willem, who were all trained by their father to become painters or engravers. By including his children in the portrait, the artist symbolizes the transmission of artistic skill and the continuity of his professional legacy within the household. The inclusion of the entire family unit underscores the importance of the artistic dynasty in Delft during the late sixteenth century.

History & Provenance

Jacob Willemsz. Delff I created the painting titled Self-portrait of the Painter with his Family in 1594. The work serves as a family record, depicting the artist alongside his wife, Maria Joachimsdr Nagel, and their sons. It specifically features the three sons who became artists: Cornelis, a still life painter; Rochus, a portrait painter; and Willem, who later trained under his father and the engraver Hendrick Goltzius. The painting was executed by the father, who also acted as the teacher for all three sons, before his death in 1601. No specific commission details or subsequent ownership chain are recorded in the provided sources.

Context

Jacob Willemsz. Delff I's 1594 *Self-portrait of the Painter with his Family* serves as a primary document of a multi-generational artistic dynasty in Delft. The work depicts the artist alongside his wife Maria Joachimsdr Nagel and three sons who all pursued careers in the visual arts: Cornelis, a still-life painter; Rochus, a portraitist; and Willem, who became a renowned engraver. This family grouping illustrates the transmission of artistic training within the household, as the father instructed all three sons before they established their own reputations. Willem's subsequent marriage into the family of Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt further integrated the Delffs into the broader network of Dutch Golden Age portraitists. The painting thus anchors the early career of Willem Jacobsz. Delff and highlights the collaborative nature of artistic production in late sixteenth-century Delft.