Artwork
Matthijs Balen Jansz (1611-91), poet and chronicler of Dordrecht
Matthijs Balen Jansz (1611-91), poet and chronicler of Dordrecht is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jan Maurits Quinkhard. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work was created in 1750 on copper and is housed in the Rijksmuseum, underscoring its historical significance within Dutch portraiture.
The painting portrays the Dordrecht poet and chronicler Mathijs Balen Jansz, depicted in his role as a literary figure of the city. Quinkhard’s portrait emphasizes the sitter’s learned presence through formal attire and a composed posture, symbolizing the cultural prominence of Dordrecht in the 18th century. The work was created in 1750 on copper and is housed in the Rijksmuseum, underscoring its historical significance within Dutch portraiture.
The painting’s iconography centers on Mathijs Balen Jansz as a representative of civic literary achievement, reflecting the era’s appreciation for scholarly contributions. Its realistic rendering and placement within a major national collection highlight its enduring cultural resonance.
Technique & Style
The portrait is executed in oil paint on a copper support, a technique well suited to the precise, enamel-like finish associated with Jan Maurits Quinkhard's small-scale cabinet pictures. The copper plate provides a smooth, rigid ground that allows for fine detail and a luminous surface, qualities appropriate to a likeness of the Dordrecht chronicler Matthijs Balen Jansz.
The work is modest in scale, measuring 11 cm in height by 9.5 cm in width, consistent with the intimate portrait format Quinkhard favored for learned sitters. As a painted portrait held in the Rijksmuseum, it belongs to the genre tradition of bust-length likenesses produced in the Dutch eighteenth century.
History & Provenance
The portrait of Matthijs Balen Jansz was painted by Jan Maurits Quinkhard in 1750, executed in oil on copper. According to the available records, the work was created in the mid-eighteenth century, more than six decades after the subject's death in 1691, indicating it was produced as a retrospective likeness rather than a life portrait.
The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains located. No information is available regarding the original commission, intermediate owners, or the chain of custody between the work's creation and its accession by the museum.
Overview
Around 1750 Jan Maurits Quinkhard executed a copper portrait of Matthijs Balen Jansz, a 17th‑century poet and chronicler from Dordrecht. The work, now held by the Rijksmuseum, presents the sitter in a dignified pose that foregrounds his intellectual vocation.
Context
The portrait reflects the Dutch tradition of honoring local intellectuals through formal likenesses. By placing Balen against a simple brown wall and a modest interior painting, Quinkhard aligns the work with contemporary practices that highlighted personal achievement over elaborate settings.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Maurits Quinkhard (28 January 1688 – 11 November 1772) was an 18th-century painter and print designer from the Dutch Republic.
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