Artwork
Johanna Christina Beelenkamp (1820-90). Wife of Cornelis Outshoorn
Johanna Christina Beelenkamp (1820-90). Wife of Cornelis Outshoorn is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Moritz Calisch. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
It portrays Johanna Christina Beelenkamp as the wife of Cornelis Outshoorn, rendered in the portrait genre.
The work is an oil painting on canvas, measuring ninety‑six by one hundred twenty centimeters. It portrays Johanna Christina Beelenkamp as the wife of Cornelis Outshoorn, rendered in the portrait genre. The surface handling reveals careful brushwork typical of mid‑nineteenth‑century Dutch portraiture, with a restrained palette and precise delineation of facial features that emphasize the sitter’s social standing.
History & Provenance
The portrait was painted in 1850 by Moritz Calisch for Johanna Christina Beelenkamp, the wife of the Haarlem merchant Cornelis Outshoorn. It entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it remains on display.
The work measures 120 cm in height and 96 cm in width and is executed in oil on canvas.
Overview
Moritz Calisch, an Amsterdam‑based painter active in the mid‑19th century, produced an oil portrait of Johanna Christina Beelenkamp around 1850. The work belongs to the Biedermeier genre of portraiture and is presently part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter, Johanna Christina Beelenkamp (1820‑1890), is shown as the wife of Cornelis Outshoorn. Dressed in a dark gown with lace trim, she rests a hand on a shawl and gazes slightly toward the viewer, conveying a composed, modest presence typical of middle‑class domestic ideals of the period.
Context
During the Biedermeier era, portraiture often emphasized modesty, domestic virtue, and clear representation over grandiosity. Calisch’s portrait aligns with this trend, presenting a respectable bourgeois woman in a simple, unadorned setting that underscores personal dignity rather than aristocratic display.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Moritz Calisch (12 April 1819, Amsterdam – 13 March 1870, Amsterdam), was a 19th-century painter from the Northern Netherlands.
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