Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Wybrand Hendricks in 1791.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Can I buy a print of Untitled?

Museum-quality prints of Untitled are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Untitled by Wybrand Hendricks (1791) · Artifact World Gallery

About this work

Subject & Meaning

As a portrait, the work serves as a personal record of their relationship and domestic life during Hendriks' tenure as curator of the Teylers Museum.

The work titled Untitled by Wybrand Hendriks, dated 1791, is a portrait depicting the artist's wife, Agatha Ketel. The subject is shown seated across from the artist at a table, a composition likely situated within the Fundatiehuis in Haarlem. The painting captures a domestic scene of the couple together shortly before or after their marriage renewal in 1791, following Hendriks' earlier drawing of her in mourning attire in 1773.

As a portrait, the work serves as a personal record of their relationship and domestic life during Hendriks' tenure as curator of the Teylers Museum. The piece was later acquired by the Teylers Museum in 1999 with support from the Vereniging Rembrandt, preserving this intimate representation of the artist's family life.

Technique & Style

The work Untitled (1791) by Wybrand Hendriks is an oil painting on canvas, created during his tenure as curator of the Teylers Museum. It depicts a portrait of his wife Agatha Ketel, rendered with precise brushwork and subdued tonal modeling characteristic of late 18th-century Dutch portraiture. The composition reflects his technical interest in spatial accuracy, as evidenced by the use of convex mirrors and optical aids in rendering interior scenes within the museum.

The painting’s formal qualities include restrained chiaroscuro, controlled spatial depth, and a focus on psychological presence in the sitter. As a portrait, it exemplifies Hendriks’s mastery of characterisation through subtle facial expression and drapery treatment, aligning with his broader stylistic output in portrait and genre painting.

Context

Wybrand Hendriks (1744–1831) is primarily recognized in art history as a Dutch portrait painter and the long-serving curator of the Teylers Museum in Haarlem. His artistic output, which includes portraits, landscapes, and copies after masters like Jan van Huysum, is often contextualized by his unique employment as the museum's concierge and art collector from 1786 to 1819. Scholarship notes that his depictions of the museum's Oval Room and inner garden likely utilized convex mirrors and optical aids to achieve impossible perspectives.

Beyond his own canvas, Hendriks significantly shaped the museum's holdings by acquiring the Odescalchi collection of Italian drawings in 1790, which featured works by Michelangelo and Raphael. His career also encompassed teaching, with several registered pupils, and administrative roles within the Haarlem city council and the local drawing academy.

Overview

The canvas presents a domestic interior where the artist Wybrand Hendriks is seated at a modest table, pen in hand, while his first wife, Agatha Ketel, holds aloft a small portrait medallion on a chain. Behind them an easel and a plaster head complete the setting, emphasizing the work’s focus on everyday, workshop‑related life.

History & Provenance

Created by Wybrand Hendriks in the late 18th century, the portrait remained within the family before entering public collections. It is now part of the Rijksmuseum’s holdings, where it contributes to the museum’s broader representation of Dutch genre and portraiture from the period.