Artwork

Agatha Petronella Hartsen (1814-78). In bruidstoilet ter gelegenheid van haar huwelijk met Jan van der Hoop op 17 maart 1841

Agatha Petronella Hartsen (1814-78). In bruidstoilet ter gelegenheid van haar huwelijk met Jan van der Hoop op 17 maart 1841 is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Jan Willem Pieneman. It dates from 1841 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Technique & Style

The medium is classified simply as oil paint, and the genre is portraiture, consistent with Jan Willem Pieneman's practice of formal commissioned likenesses.

The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, a standard support for mid-nineteenth-century Dutch portraiture. According to the catalogue record, it measures 107.5 cm in height by 89 cm in width, an upright format well suited to a full-length bridal portrait. The medium is classified simply as oil paint, and the genre is portraiture, consistent with Jan Willem Pieneman's practice of formal commissioned likenesses.

No additional information is documented regarding specific handling, surface condition, or stylistic characteristics beyond these basic technical classifications.

History & Provenance

The oil painting titled "Agatha Petronella Hartsen (1814-78). In bruidstoel ter gelegenheid van haar huwelijk met Jan van der Hoop" was created in 1841 by Dutch artist Jan Willem Pieneman. It was commissioned to commemorate the marriage of Agatha Petronella Hartsen and Jan van der Hoop on 17 March 1841.

The work is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection in Amsterdam, where it remains on display. The painting measures 107.5 cm in height and 89 cm in width and is executed on canvas using oil paint.

Overview

Jan Willem Pieneman’s 1841 oil portrait captures Agatha Petronella Hartsen (1814‑1878) on the occasion of her marriage to Jan van der Hoop on 17 March 1841. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and presents the bride in a formal, seated pose within an intimate interior setting.

Subject & Meaning

Hartsen is shown in a white wedding dress, her veil framing her face and a floral crown resting on dark hair. She holds a gold object in her right hand, perhaps a wedding token, while her left arm rests on a dark blue drapery, emphasizing the ceremony’s solemnity and personal significance.

Context

Created during the early‑mid‑19th‑century Dutch portrait tradition, the work reflects contemporary conventions for matrimonial portraiture, combining personal representation with idealized elegance. Pieneman, known for historical and genre scenes, applied his academic training to this intimate domestic commission.