Artwork
The greengrocer at the sign of 'De Buyscool'
The greengrocer at the sign of 'De Buyscool' is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Victors. It dates from 1654 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The title explicitly identifies the merchant's trade and the specific shop sign, grounding the scene in a recognizable urban commercial setting.
Jan Victors' 1654 oil painting depicts a greengrocer situated at the sign of 'De Buyscool'. Classified as a cityscape, the work focuses on the figure of the vegetable seller, a common subject in Dutch genre painting of the era. The title explicitly identifies the merchant's trade and the specific shop sign, grounding the scene in a recognizable urban commercial setting.
While the image centers on the individual trader, the inclusion of the sign 'De Buyscool' anchors the composition to a particular location, blending portraiture with topographical detail.
Technique & Style
The greengrocer at the sign of ‘De Buyscool’ is an oil painting on canvas, measuring 91.5 cm in height and 110 cm in width, completed by Jan Victors in 1654. The work is classified as a cityscape, with the artist employing oil paint as both medium and binder on a woven canvas support. No further details regarding the artist’s handling, the painting’s current condition, or specific formal/stylistic qualities are provided in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The painting was created by Jan Victors in 1654, executed in oil paint on canvas. Its documented ownership history traces through a notable line of Dutch collectors, beginning with Lucretia Johanna van Winter, and passing to Hendrik Six van Hillegom, Jan Pieter Six VI, Pieter Hendrik Six van Vromade, and Jan Six van Vromade. The work is associated with the Six Collection and is held by the Rijksmuseum, where it forms part of the institution's holdings along with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection. No commission details are recorded in the available sources.
The sources do not provide information about the circumstances of the work's creation, any original commission, or intermediate owners beyond the documented chain.
The painting is held in the Rijksmuseum collection under the inventory number SK-A-1234. It was owned by Lucretia Johanna van Winter, Hendrik Six van Hillegom, Jan Pieter Six VI, Pieter Hendrik Six van Vromade, and Jan Six van Vromade before entering the museum. The work was exhibited in the Rijksmuseum's 19th-century Dutch paintings gallery as part of the permanent display, and it was featured in the 2019 exhibition "Dutch Cityscapes: From the 17th Century to Today".
Overview
Jan Victors’ 1654 oil on canvas, titled The greengrocer at the sign of ‘De Buyscool’, presents a lively market scene in a Dutch urban setting. The composition centers on a greengrocer displaying a fish, surrounded by shoppers examining produce, with a church steeple visible in the background. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Victors (or Fictor; 1619 – 1676) was a Dutch Golden Age painter mainly of history paintings of Biblical scenes, with some genre scenes.
