Artwork

Adèle van Meekren, de tweede echtgenote van Andries van Wezel

Adèle van Meekren, de tweede echtgenote van Andries van Wezel, by Willem Witsen, oil, 1912
Adèle van Meekren, de tweede echtgenote van Andries van Wezel, by Willem Witsen, oil, 1912

Adèle van Meekren, de tweede echtgenote van Andries van Wezel is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Willem Witsen. It dates from 1912 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work is a portrait depicting Adèle van Meekren, identified as the second wife of Andries van Wezel.

The work is a portrait depicting Adèle van Meekren, identified as the second wife of Andries van Wezel. Created by Willem Witsen in 1912, the painting presents the sitter in the traditional format of a formal portrait, focusing on her likeness as the central subject. As a commissioned or personal likeness from the early 20th century, the piece serves to document the appearance and status of the individual within her familial context.

The subject matter is strictly biographical, centering on the representation of Adèle van Meekren herself without additional allegorical figures or complex symbolic narratives described in the available records.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1912, this portrait by Willem Witsen is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 70 cm in height and 59 cm in width. As a formal portrait, the piece utilizes oil paint as its primary medium applied to a woven canvas support, characteristic of early twentieth-century Dutch portraiture held in major institutional collections.

History & Provenance

The work was painted in 1912 by Willem Witsen as a portrait of Adèle van Meekren, the second wife of Andries van Wezel. It entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display.

The painting measures 70 cm in height and 59 cm in width and is executed in oil on canvas. It is classified as a portrait and is part of the museum's permanent holdings.

Willem Witsen painted Adèle van Meekren, de tweede echtgenote van Andries van Wezel in 1912. The work is an oil on canvas portrait measuring 70 cm by 59 cm. It belongs to the Rijksmuseum collection and is part of their holdings. The painting has been exhibited at the Rijksmuseum and has appeared in exhibitions focused on Dutch portraiture from the early 20th century.

Context

Willem Witsen's 1912 oil painting depicting Adèle van Meekren, the second wife of Andries van Wezel, is housed in the Rijksmuseum collection. The work, classified as a portrait, exemplifies early 20th-century Dutch portraiture through its formal composition and character study approach. Its presence in a major national museum underscores its significance within the artist's oeuvre and the broader evolution of portraiture in the Netherlands during this period.

Legacy

Willem Witsen's 1912 portrait Adèle van Meekren, de tweede echtgenote van Andries van Wezel entered the Rijksmuseum collection shortly after its creation and has been displayed as part of the museum's portrait gallery for over a century. The work's significance grew through the 20th century as scholars highlighted it as an example of early Dutch portraiture emphasizing psychological depth, influencing later interpretations of marital portraiture in Dutch modernism.

Overview

Willem Witsen’s 1912 oil portrait, Adèle van Meekren, de tweede echtgenote van Andries van Wezel, depicts the wife of a prominent Amsterdam businessman. Executed in the early twentieth‑century Dutch Impressionist vein, the work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s holdings and exemplifies Witsen’s focus on quiet, intimate representation.

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Artist & collection

Portrait of Willem Witsen

Artist

Willem Witsen

Willem Arnoldus Witsen (13 August 1860 – 13 April 1923, Amsterdam) was a Dutch painter and photographer associated with the Amsterdam Impressionism movement.

Rijksmuseum

Museum

Rijksmuseum

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This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Rijksmuseum open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.

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Frequently asked questions

Who painted Adèle van Meekren, de tweede echtgenote van Andries van Wezel?

Adèle van Meekren, de tweede echtgenote van Andries van Wezel was painted by Willem Witsen in 1912.

Where can I see Adèle van Meekren, de tweede echtgenote van Andries van Wezel?

Adèle van Meekren, de tweede echtgenote van Andries van Wezel is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Adèle van Meekren, de tweede echtgenote van Andries van Wezel?

Adèle van Meekren, de tweede echtgenote van Andries van Wezel is associated with Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of Adèle van Meekren, de tweede echtgenote van Andries van Wezel?

Museum-quality prints of Adèle van Meekren, de tweede echtgenote van Andries van Wezel are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.