Artwork
Joanna Cornelia Ziesenis-Wattier (1762-1827). Toneelspeelster, in de rol van Elfride in het gelijknamige toneelstuk van Friedrich Justin Bertuch
Joanna Cornelia Ziesenis-Wattier (1762-1827). Toneelspeelster, in de rol van Elfride in het gelijknamige toneelstuk van Friedrich Justin Bertuch is an oil painting by the Neoclassicist artist Johann Baptist Scheffer. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a theatrical portrait, the work serves to capture the artist's interpretation of Wattier's stage presence and her embodiment of this tragic figure.
The painting depicts the Dutch actress Joanna Cornelia Ziesenis-Wattier (also known as Johanna Wattier) portrayed in a specific theatrical role. She is shown performing as the character Elfride, the protagonist of the play of the same name written by Friedrich Justin Bertuch. As a theatrical portrait, the work serves to capture the artist's interpretation of Wattier's stage presence and her embodiment of this tragic figure.
The iconography is defined by this dual identity, presenting the sitter simultaneously as the 18th-century performer and the literary character she portrays on stage.
Technique & Style
The portrait is executed in oil paint on canvas, measuring 102.5 × 84 cm. As a theatrical portrait, it depicts the actress in character as Elfride, a role that demands both likeness and dramatic embodiment. The work belongs to the portrait genre, with the artist employing the conventional medium of oil on canvas typical for late-eighteenth-century Dutch portraiture. The handling would serve the dual purpose of capturing Wattier's features and conveying her theatrical presence in a specific dramatic role.
History & Provenance
The portrait was painted in 1799 by Johann Baptist Scheffer to commemorate the Dutch actress Joanna Cornelia Ziesenis-Wattier in her stage role as Elfride from Friedrich Justin Bertuch’s eponymous play.
It entered the collection of the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam, where Ziesenis-Wattier performed, before transfer to the Rijksmuseum under the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands.
The painting is held in a shared collection between the Rijksmuseum and the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam, with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection also listed as a holding entity. It resides physically at the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam. The work was created on January 1, 1799, and depicts the actress Johanna Wattier in the role of Elfride.
No specific inventory or accession numbers are provided in the available sources, nor is there any recorded exhibition history for this portrait.
Overview
Johann Baptist Scheffer’s 1800 oil portrait presents Dutch actress Johanna Cornelia Ziesenis‑Wattier in the role of Elfride from Friedrich Justin Bertuch’s play. Executed in a neoclassical style, the work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.
Context
The painting reflects early‑19th‑century Dutch theatrical culture, documenting a prominent actress in a contemporary stage role. It also illustrates the period’s interest in portraying cultural figures with the dignified composure typical of neoclassical portraiture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Johann or Johan Bernard Scheffer (also Jean Baptist Scheffer; 1764 – 30 June 1809) was a German-born painter and etcher active in the Netherlands and the father of the painter Ary Scheffer.
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