Portrait of the Brak Family, Amsterdam Mennonites
1752
unspecified
From the collection of Rijksmuseum
1752
unspecified
From the collection of Rijksmuseum
You see three generations of the Brak family seated around a fireplace in a dim, wood-paneled room. A little girl holds a doll in the foreground, while a baby sits on her mother’s lap. A doorway in the back shows shelves of books. This painting is rare because it’s a Mennonite family portrait—most Mennonites avoided fancy art. The quiet, plain clothes and simple setting show their values. The artist isn’t known, but the faces feel real, like a snapshot of everyday life. To see more Dutch family portraits like this, visit the Rijksmuseum.
