Artwork
Pieter Coecke van Aelst, his Wife Mayken Verhulst and Their Children
Pieter Coecke van Aelst, his Wife Mayken Verhulst and Their Children is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Pieter Coecke van Aelst. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1550, this oil on canvas portrait by Pieter Coecke van Aelst depicts the artist with his wife, Mayken Verhulst, and their three children. The family is arranged in a domestic interior, the adults seated at a table while the youngsters peer over a low wall in the background. The work is part of the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.
Subject & Meaning
The central figures are the husband, dressed in a black shirt and hat, and his wife, wearing a white head covering and a black shirt, both gazing directly at the viewer with solemn expressions. The husband holds a skull, a traditional memento mori symbol reminding viewers of mortality. The children’s curious glances add a contrast of youthful innocence to the contemplative scene.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil, the painting shows Coecke van Aelst’s careful handling of light and texture, especially in the rendering of fabrics and the reflective surface of the skull. The composition balances a tight foreground with a shallow depth, allowing the figures to dominate while still suggesting a modest interior space through subtle background details.
History & Provenance
The portrait has remained attributed to Coecke van Aelst since its creation in the mid‑16th century. It entered the holdings of the Kunsthaus Zürich, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s Flemish Renaissance collection, offering insight into the artist’s personal life and the period’s domestic portraiture.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Pieter Coecke van Aelst or Pieter Coecke van Aelst the Elder was a Flemish painter, sculptor, architect, author and designer of woodcuts, goldsmith's work, stained glass and tapestries.
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