Artwork
Portrait of Aletta van Ravensberg (1635-77). Wife of Jan van Nes
Portrait of Aletta van Ravensberg (1635-77). Wife of Jan van Nes is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Ludolf de Jongh. It dates from 1668 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1668 by Ludolf de Jongh, the work functions as a formal portrait situated within the Dutch Golden Age tradition.
The painting depicts Aletta van Ravensberg (1635–1677), identified as the wife of Jan van Nes. Created in 1668 by Ludolf de Jongh, the work functions as a formal portrait situated within the Dutch Golden Age tradition. The composition includes a garden setting as a secondary depicted element alongside the sitter.
While the specific symbolic intent of the garden backdrop is not explicitly detailed in available records, its inclusion alongside the subject suggests a connection to domestic virtue or status common in portraiture of this period. The work primarily serves to represent the individual likeness and social identity of van Ravensberg.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1668, this portrait is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 111.5 cm in height and 88.5 cm in width. As a formal portrait, the composition focuses on the depiction of Aletta van Ravensberg, who is situated within a garden setting.
The piece is classified within the genre of portraiture and represents the artistic output of Ludolf de Jongh during the mid-seventeenth century.
History & Provenance
The portrait of Aletta van Ravensberg was created in 1668 by the Dutch painter Ludolf de Jongh, who rendered the work in oil on canvas. Upon completion, the painting entered the holdings of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it has remained as part of the museum’s permanent collection. The canvas measures roughly 111.5 cm high and 88.5 cm wide overall. No earlier owners or subsequent transfers are documented in the available sources.
The portrait of Aletta van Ravensberg is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, the National Art Gallery of the Netherlands. The work is an oil painting on canvas, measuring 111.5 cm in height and 88.5 cm in width. Created in 1668 by Ludolf de Jongh, the painting depicts the sitter alongside a garden setting.
No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available records, nor is there any documented exhibition history for this piece.
Overview
Ludolf de Jongh painted this oil on canvas portrait in 1668, portraying Aletta van Ravensberg, the wife of Jan van Nes. The work belongs to the Dutch Golden Age and is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.
Context
De Jongh’s career combined artistic production with service in the Rotterdam civil guard and as sheriff of Hillegersberg. His portraits often documented the wealth and social standing of merchant families, reflecting the prosperous urban culture of the Dutch Republic.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Ludolf de Jongh or Ludolf Leendertsz. de Jongh (Overschie, 1616 – Hillegersberg, 1679) was a Dutch painter, known for his genre scenes, hunting scenes, history paintings, landscapes, cityscapes, and portraits. He was…
