Artwork

Portrait of Johann Joseph Hermann (1782-1857), father-in law of the artist, with Ida Schwartze, the artist's oldest daughter

Portrait of Johann Joseph Hermann (1782-1857), father-in law of the artist, with Ida Schwartze, the artist's oldest daughter is an oil painting by the Realist artist Johan Georg Schwartze. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Technique & Style

The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 62.5 cm in height by 77.5 cm in width. It depicts Johann Joseph Hermann, the artist's father-in-law, alongside his daughter Ida Schwartze, rendered with a direct gaze toward the viewer. The brushwork and tonal modeling reflect the academic realist style characteristic of mid-nineteenth-century portraiture.

History & Provenance

The work was completed in the same year it was commissioned, depicting the sitter in oil on canvas with dimensions of 62.

The painting Portrait of Johann Joseph Hermann (1782-1857), father-in-law of the artist, with Ida Schwartze, the artist's oldest daughter, was created by Johan Georg Schwartze in 1850 as an oil on canvas portrait. It entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display in Gallery B0-215. The work was completed in the same year it was commissioned, depicting the sitter in oil on canvas with dimensions of 62.5 cm by 77.5 cm.

Overview

Around 1850, Dutch painter Johann Georg Schwartze executed an oil portrait featuring his father‑in‑law, Johann Joseph Hermann (1782–1857), alongside Ida Schwartz, his eldest daughter. The work, now part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection, presents the two figures seated against a muted backdrop, their gazes directed toward the viewer.

Subject & Meaning

The composition pairs an elderly gentleman in a dark coat and white cravat with a young girl wrapped in a fur‑lined cloak and a modest, wide‑brimmed hat. Both sit with calm, slightly serious expressions, their faces illuminated to emphasize their relationship and the generational contrast.

Context

Schwartze’s career encompassed both portraiture and historical scenes; he was also the father of notable artists Therese Schwartze, a painter, and Georgine Schwartze, a sculptor. This family portrait reflects his interest in intimate, realistic representation within the broader Dutch realist movement of the mid‑19th century.

Deliverance Mapes Waldo and Her Son, Samuel Lovett Waldo

Artist & collection

Artist

Johan Georg Schwartze

Johann Georg Schwartze (20 October 1814 – 28 August 1874) was a painter from the Northern Netherlands who grew up in Philadelphia and was trained in Düsseldorf and the Düsseldorf school.