Abraham Casteleyn and his Wife, Margarieta van Bancken

The oil on canvas portrait of Abraham Casteleyn and Margaretha van Bancken was painted by Jan de Bray in Haarlem in 1663. It remained in the Casteleyn‑van Bancken family until 1834, after which it passed through private hands before entering the Rijksmuseum in 1939 as part of the Frans Ernst Blaauw bequest. Prior to its correct identification, the work was mistakenly thought to depict members of the Blaeu family; the error was resolved after a drawn self‑portrait of Casteleyn was found in the North Holland Archives.

The painting’s creation and early ownership are thus documented, while no explicit commission record is cited in the sources.

The painting has been held by the Rijksmuseum since its acquisition in 1939, when it entered the collection through the Frans Ernst Blaauw bequest. Before that, the work had remained with the Blaauw family since 1834. Its current location at the Rijksmuseum is confirmed by Wikidata records, which also document its physical dimensions and Haarlem origin. No prior exhibition history beyond the Blaauw family ownership is recorded in the available sources.

Jan de Bray's 1663 double portrait of Abraham Casteleyn and Margaretha van Bancken stands as a significant example of Dutch Golden Age portraiture, currently held by the Rijksmuseum. The work's art-historical identity was long obscured; following its 1939 acquisition from the Frans Ernst Blaauw bequest, scholars initially misidentified the sitters as the Blaeu family, first Joan Blaeu and later his son Willem II, based on the presence of a globe. Correct attribution to the Casteleyn printing couple was achieved only after the discovery of a drawn self-portrait by Casteleyn in the North Holland Archives.

This correction clarified the painting's connection to Haarlem's civic life, as the subjects operated the "In de Blije Druck" printing house and produced the city's first newspaper. The prominent bust of Laurens Janszoon Coster further anchors the work within local Haarlem heritage, while the artist's familial link to the Casteleyn firm through his brother Dirck underscores the painting's specific social context.

Jan de Bray's 1663 oil painting, "Abraham Casteleyn and his Wife, Margarieta van Bancken," is a notable example of Dutch Golden Age portraiture. This double portrait, now housed in the Rijksmuseum, captures the prominent Haarlem printer and his spouse in a domestic setting, reflecting the era's focus on individual and family representation. The work is recognized for its detailed depiction and the historical significance of its subjects.