Artwork
Johan van Musschenbroek and His Wife
Johan van Musschenbroek and His Wife is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Pieter Cornelisz. van Slingelandt. It dates from 1675 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Created in 1675, this oil painting presents a married couple in an intimate domestic setting.
About this work
Technique & Style
van Slingelandt, a Leiden fijnschilder known for meticulous, highly polished brushwork and refined surface finish.
The portrait is executed in oil paint on panel, a support typical of Dutch cabinet pictures of the period. The composition measures 61.9 cm in height by 49.8 cm in width, giving it an upright format suited to a paired depiction of the married couple. Classified as a portrait, the work is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
Stylistically, the painting is by Pieter Cornelisz. van Slingelandt, a Leiden fijnschilder known for meticulous, highly polished brushwork and refined surface finish. The medium and panel support align with that tradition of fine, detailed oil technique rather than the broader handling associated with larger-scale history paintings.
History & Provenance
The painting Johan van Musschenbroek and His Wife is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Its accession number is 1965.1655. The work has been part of exhibitions at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, including a 1975 exhibition of Dutch portraiture and a 1995 Dutch Golden Age showcase.
The piece was created in 1675 by Pieter Cornelisz van Slingelandt and is classified as an oil on panel portrait. It measures 61.9 cm by 49.8 cm.
Overview
Created in 1675, this oil painting presents a married couple in an intimate domestic setting. The work is attributed to Pieter Cornelisz. van Slingelandt, a Dutch artist associated with the fijnschilder tradition of Leiden. It is currently held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Subject & Meaning
The male figure, dressed in a soft‑red jacket, is seated at a table and appears to be playing a violin, his smile directed toward the viewer. Opposite him, a woman in a blue‑and‑white gown with a high collar and lace cuffs holds an open book and a small dog, suggesting a scene of cultured leisure and marital harmony.
Context
Van Slingelandt trained under Gerard Dou, whose influence is evident in the careful observation of surface and the intimate, domestic atmosphere of the scene. The work reflects the Leiden school’s emphasis on precise detail and the portrayal of everyday refinement among the city’s affluent citizens.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Pieter Cornelisz. van Slingelandt
Pieter Cornelisz van Slingelandt (20 October 1640 – 7 November 1691) was a Dutch Golden Age portrait painter who had been a pupil of Gerard Dou and is known as one of Leiden's fijnschilders.
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