Artwork
Portrait of Jacob Maris
Portrait of Jacob Maris is an oil painting by the Realist artist Matthijs Maris. It dates from 1857 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a straightforward portrait, the painting's primary purpose is to record the likeness of its sitter rather than to convey an allegorical or symbolic program.
The painting is a portrait of Jacob Maris, the Dutch artist and elder brother of the painter Matthijs Maris, who created the work in 1857. As a straightforward portrait, the painting's primary purpose is to record the likeness of its sitter rather than to convey an allegorical or symbolic program. The identification of Jacob Maris as the depicted figure is confirmed by the work's stated main subject and by its placement in the Rijksmuseum collection, where it is catalogued alongside other portraits from the Maris family circle.
Within the broader context of Dutch nineteenth-century art, the portrait reflects the close artistic kinship between the Maris brothers, both of whom would go on to become leading figures of the Hague School. The work thus serves less as an iconographic statement than as a personal document of that fraternal artistic relationship, preserved in the national collection.
Technique & Style
Matthijs Maris executed the Portrait of Jacob Maris in 1857 using oil paint applied to a wood support. The work measures 40 cm in height and 33 cm in width. While the primary support is wood, the materials list also includes paper, suggesting a complex construction or the use of paper elements within the wooden structure.
Classified as a portrait, the piece reflects the artist's handling of oil on a rigid, non-canvas surface during his early career in the Netherlands.
History & Provenance
The portrait of Jacob Maris was created by the Dutch artist Matthijs Maris in 1857, executed in oil on wood. According to the Wikidata record for the work, its inception is dated to 1 January 1857, and it was made in the Netherlands. The painting depicts Jacob Maris, who served as both subject and likely close relation to the artist.
The work is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, which is also its current location. No further details about commission, intermediate ownership, or acquisition history are recorded in the available sources beyond the artist, date, and present institutional custody.
Overview
This 1857 portrait on wood, created by Matthijs Maris, depicts his brother Jacob Maris. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Matthias Maris (17 August 1839 – 22 August 1917) was a Dutch painter, etcher and lithographer.
