Maes was one of Rembrandt's most precocious pupils. He specialized in portraiture and, by the 1660s, had adopted the bright colors and elegance of Flemish artists and the French court to great success. This is clearly evident in the double portrait of the wealthy, influential Alewijns.
Dirck Alewijn was the Sheriff of Amsterdam, a title that was more honorary than active. His luxuriant wig, and the fine pearls and dress of his wife, Agatha Bicker (F.1972.43.3.2.P), attest to their affluence.
Details
- Artist Name: Nicolaes Maes (Dutch, 1634-1693)
- Title: Dirck Frederiksz Alewijn
- Date: c. 1675
- Medium: Oil on panel (one of a pair)
- Dimensions: painted oval: 14-3/4 x 9-3/4 in. (37.5 x 24.8 cm); panel: 17 x 12 in. (43.2 x 30.5 cm)
- Credit Line: The Norton Simon Foundation
- Accession Number: F.1972.43.3.1.P
- Copyright: © The Norton Simon Foundation
Object Information
Dirk M. Alewijn (sale Amsterdam, Roos, 16 December 1885, lot 32, sold for fr. 480 to);
[Van Nulck.]
W. H. Blaauw, Amsterdam, by 1892 – until after 1916.
Cornelis Johannes Karel van Aalst, Hoevelaken (1866-1939), by 1939 and by descent to;
Dr. N. J. van Aalst, sold 1972 through;
[G. Cramer, The Hague, to];
The Norton Simon Foundation.
[on loan]
- Richmond, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 1972-09-27 to 1974-12-16
Encountering the Dutch Likeness: Portraiture in 17th Century Holland
- Norton Simon Museum, 1993-09-02 to 1996
Meditations on Christ's Passion: Images of Emotion and Introspection
- Norton Simon Museum, 1988-03-03 to 1988-04-17
- Sumowski, Werner, Gemälde der Rembrandt-Schüler, no. 1414 p. 2031
- Meiejer, D. C., Jr., de Gids, 1886, part 1 p. 337
- Moes, Ernst William, Iconographia Batava, 1905, no. 124.2
- Hofstede de Groot, C., A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Emminent Dutch Painter of the Seventeenth Century, 1916, no. 131 pp. 514-515
- Moltke, J. W. von, Dutch and Flemish Old Masters in the Collection of Dr. C. J. K. van Aalst. Huis-te-Hoevelaken Holland., 1939, pl. XLV pp. 186, 190
- Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 859A p. 345
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