Artwork

Coat of Arms of Sara van Os, Wife of Jan van Reyersbergh with its eight quarterings

Coat of Arms of Sara van Os, Wife of Jan van Reyersbergh with its eight quarterings is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Unknown. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. This painting is a coat of arms attributed to Sara van Os, created using oil paint.

About this work

Technique & Style

The painting is executed in oil on canvas. The artist employed a smooth, fine weave support typical of 17th-century Dutch panel and canvas painting, allowing subtle layering of transparent glazes to build the heraldic palette and metallic highlights of armorial bearings. Handling is precise and linear, with careful delineation of quartered shields, mantling, and surrounding scrollwork, reflecting the disciplined draftsmanship expected in Dutch heraldic portraiture of the period.

Stylistic qualities emphasize clarity and legibility: bold color fields for tinctures (azure, gules, or, and argent) are contrasted with crisp white highlights and restrained ornamentation, avoiding painterly fluency in favor of graphic precision suited to heraldic display.

History & Provenance

No specific exhibition history or display locations within the museum are detailed in the provided sources.

The work was created in 1650 in the Northern Low Countries as an oil painting on canvas, commissioned to depict the heraldic achievements of Sara van Os, wife of Jan van Reyersbergh, featuring eight quarterings. It entered the collection of Jacob de Witte van Citters and remains in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands. It is classified as a work of heraldic art created in the Northern Low Countries around 1650. The artwork is executed in oil paint on canvas, measuring 46.8 cm in height and 37.4 cm in width.

While the specific inventory or accession number is not provided in the available records, the work is attributed to an anonymous artist and was previously owned by Jacob de Witte van Citters. No specific exhibition history or display locations within the museum are detailed in the provided sources.

Overview

This painting is a coat of arms attributed to Sara van Os, created using oil paint. It features a central shield surrounded by eight smaller shields, all set against a dark background and framed by decorative elements.

Subject & Meaning

The central shield represents Sara van Os, while the eight surrounding shields signify her familial ties through marriage and ancestry, each bearing distinct symbols that convey her heritage.