Artwork

Portrait of Geertruyt, Margriet and Anna Delff, the artist's daughters

Portrait of Geertruyt, Margriet and Anna Delff, the artist's daughters is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jacob Willemsz Delff. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The subjects are presented simply as girls, with the work functioning primarily as a commemorative likeness of the three siblings at a specific moment in time.

The work is a group portrait depicting three young girls, identified as Geertruyt, Margriet, and Anna Delff, the daughters of the artist Jacob Willemsz Delff the Younger. Painted in 1660, the canvas captures these figures in a formal arrangement typical of the genre. As a depiction of the artist's own children, the painting serves as a domestic record of the family rather than an allegorical or symbolic composition.

The subjects are presented simply as girls, with the work functioning primarily as a commemorative likeness of the three siblings at a specific moment in time.

Technique & Style

The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for seventeenth-century Dutch portraiture. According to the catalogue record, the painting measures 202.5 cm in height by 187 cm in width, indicating a substantial, nearly square format suited to a multi-figure composition. Classified simply as a painting and grouped under the genre of group portrait, the medium and dimensions are consistent with the large-scale family portraits produced in the Dutch Golden Age.

No further technical details regarding underdrawing, brushwork, surface condition, or stylistic handling are documented in the available sources.

History & Provenance

The painting was created in 1660 by Jacob Willemsz Delff the Younger, who depicted his three daughters Geertruyt, Margriet and Anna in an oil-on-canvas portrait. It has been part of the Rijksmuseum's collection, where it is currently housed. No further details about earlier ownership, commission or subsequent transfers are provided in the sources.

Legacy

The painting's prominence in the Rijksmuseum collection has cemented its reputation as a key example of 17th-century Dutch group portraiture, influencing scholarly understandings of family representation in the period. Its inclusion in major exhibitions of Dutch Golden Age art has contributed to sustained academic interest and public recognition of Jacob Willemsz Delff the Younger's artistic significance.

The work remains accessible to researchers and visitors through the Rijksmuseum's online catalogue, ensuring continued engagement with its historical and artistic context.

Overview

Created in 1660, this oil painting by Jacob Willemsz Delff the Younger portrays his three daughters, Geertruyt, Margriet and Anna, arranged closely together. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and presents a domestic scene rendered with careful attention to costume and setting.