Artwork
A Musical Company
A Musical Company is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Verkolje. It dates from 1673 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
Executed in 1673, this genre scene by Jan Verkolje is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 44 cm in height and 53 cm in width. It is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, having previously been owned by Jacobus Salomon Hendrik van de Poll and Henric Muilman. The piece exemplifies the genre art tradition through its depiction of a musical company.
History & Provenance
Historical records indicate that the piece was once owned by Henric Muilman and later by Jacobus Salomon Hendrik van de Poll.
Jan Verkolje created the oil-on-canvas painting A Musical Company in 1673. The work measures 44 cm in height and 53 cm in width. Historical records indicate that the piece was once owned by Henric Muilman and later by Jacobus Salomon Hendrik van de Poll.
It is currently held within the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection and displayed at the Rijksmuseum.
A Musical Company is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and is also associated with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection. Among its recorded owners are Jacobus Salomon Hendrik van de Poll and Henric Muilman. No specific inventory or accession number is documented in the available sources, and no exhibition history is recorded.
Context
The painting A Musical Company by Jan Verkolje was created in 1673 and depicts a group of musicians within a domestic interior, reflecting the genre scene tradition of the Dutch Golden Age. It is currently housed in the Rijksmuseum, where it was acquired from the collection of Jacobus Salomon Hendrik van de Poll and Henric Muilman. The work exemplifies Verkolje's role in continuing the narrative painting style of earlier Dutch masters while incorporating subtle realism in both composition and material execution.
Legacy
A Musical Company by Jan Verkolje exerted limited documented influence on later art historical discourse, with its reputation primarily anchored in archival records rather than sustained critical analysis. The painting's legacy persists through its presence in major institutional collections, notably the Rijksmuseum, where it remains part of the Dutch Golden Age holdings. Its provenance, including ownership by Jacobus Salomon Hendrik van de Poll and Henric Muilman, underscores its historical circulation among private collectors before institutional acquisition.
The work's dimensions (44 cm by 53 cm) and material composition (oil on canvas) reflect typical practices of 17th-century Dutch genre painting, though its stylistic impact on subsequent artists remains unquantified in surviving scholarship.
Overview
A Musical Company is a 1673 oil painting by Jan Verkolje, a Dutch artist known for his portraits and genre scenes. The work exemplifies the artistic achievements of the Dutch Golden Age.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a domestic scene of five figures engaged in music-making. A woman plays a lute, surrounded by attentive listeners, including a standing man, a seated figure, and a child with a dog. The elegant attire and refined atmosphere suggest a special occasion.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Verkolje or Johannes Verkolje (9 February 1650 (baptized) – 8 May 1693 (buried)) was a Dutch painter, draughtsman and engraver.
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