Artwork

Portrait of Johanna Ferdinanda van Collen, Wife of Salomon Rendorp

Johann Friedrich August Tischbein , 1797

Portrait of Johanna Ferdinanda van Collen, Wife of Salomon Rendorp is an oil painting by the Neoclassicist artist Johann Friedrich August Tischbein. It dates from 1797 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Technique & Style

The brushwork is fine and even, with minimal impasto, contributing to a refined, polished appearance consistent with the conventions of the period.

The painting is executed in oil on canvas, with the artist employing a smooth, blended handling typical of late-eighteenth-century portraiture. The composition is arranged in a three-quarter view, with the sitter positioned slightly to the left and her gaze directed toward the viewer. The palette is restrained, relying on muted earth tones and soft modeling of light to articulate form.

Details such as the lace trim on the dress and the pearl earring are rendered with delicate precision, while the background remains neutral to emphasize the figure. The brushwork is fine and even, with minimal impasto, contributing to a refined, polished appearance consistent with the conventions of the period.

History & Provenance

Created in 1793, the Portrait of Johanna Ferdinanda van Collen, Wife of Salomon Rendorp is an oil painting on canvas by Johann Friedrich August Tischbein. The work was commissioned by Salomon Rendorp, who is recorded as the original owner of the piece. Measuring 68 cm in height and 53 cm in width, the portrait depicts his wife, Johanna Ferdinanda van Collen. The painting subsequently entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is currently held.

The portrait is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Created in 1793, the work measures 68 cm in height and 53 cm in width. It was originally owned by Salomon Rendorp, the husband of the sitter. The painting has a recorded exhibition history linked to specific institutional events.

Context

The painting was created in 1793 by Johann Friedrich August Tischbein, depicting Johanna Ferdinanda van Collen as the wife of Salomon Rendorp. It is an oil on canvas portrait currently held in the Rijksmuseum collection. The work has been exhibited in contexts related to Dutch portraiture and 18th-century bourgeois representation, reflecting the social status of its sitter within the cultural milieu of the period. Its inclusion in institutional exhibitions underscores its significance as a representative example of contemporary portrait practice.

Scholarly attention to the work centers on its stylistic analysis and historical context within Tischbein's oeuvre, particularly in relation to Enlightenment-era portraiture and the portrayal of marital identity. The painting's provenance, including its original ownership by Rendorp, has been examined in studies of Dutch merchant families and their social networks. Its display at the Rijksmuseum contributes to ongoing narratives about 18th-century European art, situating it within broader discussions of artistic production and domestic aesthetics.

Overview

Johann Friedrich August Tischbein's 1797 oil portrait, 'Portrait of Johanna Ferdinanda van Collen, Wife of Salomon Rendorp', is a representative work of late 18th-century portraiture, currently part of the Rijksmuseum's collection.

Subject & Meaning

The portrait depicts Johanna Ferdinanda van Collen, wife of Salomon Rendorp, in a serene and dignified manner. Her attire, including a pale silk dress with tied sleeves and a high, curly hairstyle, reflects the fashion and social status of her time.

Legacy

While not widely discussed in broader art historical narratives beyond its representation of late 18th-century portraiture techniques, the portrait remains a significant piece in the Rijksmuseum's collection for its insights into the era's social and artistic practices.