- Written by L.C.Geerts
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Famous Dutch Painters from Dordrecht, Ancient Capital of Holland
Part 3
6. Ferdinand Bol
7. Jacob Gerritsz Bornwater
8. Adriaan van der Burg
Note : Please do not email me with technical questions about paintings and their age and origin because I am not an expert but I only have gathered information about the Painters from the Netherlands and specially from Dordrecht.
Dordrecht is not only known as the oldest city and ancient capital of Holland but also for the many famous painters who were born or lived in Dordrecht during the late Middle ages and later centuries.
On the next pages you can find many works from these famous painters who were responsible for many styles of paintings and they immortalized the daily life and landscapes in the 15th to 19th century. Most of their masterpieces are nowadays part of collections in museums all over the world and of which many can be seen in the local Dordrechts Museum.
Ferdinand Bol
Dordrecht 1616 - Amsterdam 1680
Ferdinand Bol was born in Dordrecht in 1616 as son of a chirurgijn. He was a pupil of Jacob Gerritz Cuyp at Dordrecht until 1635. From the age of twenty he moved to Amsterdam and studied in Rembrandts studio for several years, the master strongly influenced the development of the young artist. Bol stayed and worked in Amsterdam till the end of his life in 1680; he painted portraits, historical compositions and sometimes still-life's. In his early works the powerful authority of Rembrandt is seen, but already in 1650s he changed his palette to a lighter one.
Wigbold Slicher and Elisabeh Spiegel
Ferdinand Bol, 1656
Oil on canvas 118 x 157 cm
Dordrechts museum
Portrait of Wigbold Slicher and Elisabeth Spiegel as Paris and Venus.
Biblical couple in a landscape
Ferdinand Bol
Oil on canvas 102,3 x 91,8 cm
Dordrechts museum
In his early years Bol used the style of painting as used by Rembrandt. From this time dates this masterpiece called Biblical couple. The landscape on this painting he used from his master in Dordrecht Jacob Gerritz Cuyp.
Self portrait with baret
Ferdinand Bol, 1646
Oil on canvas 102 x 85,5 cm
Dordrechts museum
Self portrait of Ferdinand Bol on the age of thirty years, Four years before he had left Rembandt to work for himself, but the style of his master Rembrandt is evident.
Portrait of Michiel Adriaansz de Ruyter
Ferdinand Bol, 1667
Oil on canvas, 238 x 157 cm
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Michiel de Ruyter (1607-1676) is one of the most famous admirals in Dutch history. De Ruyter is most famous for his role in the Anglo-Dutch Wars of the 17th century.
Aeneas at the Court of Latinus
Ferdinand Bol, c.166-63
Oil on canvas
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
This busy scene is actually a prize giving ceremony. The man standing n the platform is Aeneas, a Trojan prince and the legendary founder of Rome. On his long voyage Aeneas kept up morale among the men by organizing occasional competitions. Here he rewards one of the captains who has just won a race between the ships. A slave presents the prize, magnificent suite of armor. Aeneas' fleet is anchored in the distance.
Consul Titus Manlius Torquatus Beheading His Son
Ferinand Bol, c.1661-63
Oil on canvas
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
A dramatic scene: a father ordering his son to be beheaded because he disobeyed an order. The father, on the platform, is the Roman consul Titus Manlius Torquatus. He had ordered that no officer should engage the enemy. When his son, Titus Manlius, failed to obey the consul had to punish him. The dead youth is ling in the foreground. The blood flows from his neck as the executioner displays the severed head to the astonished onlookers.
Elisabeth Jacobsdr. Bas
Ferdinand Bol, c.1640
Oil on canvas
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
An old woman is sitting quietssly in her hair. On the table beside her is a book. She is wearing a kind of two-piece: a black dress and matching coat trimmed with fur, which is draped elegantly over the chair. In her hand is a handkerchief. This type of costume was fashionable around 1640 but the large ruff and the cap with wing flaps were out-of-date by this time. Nevertheless, the older generation tended to ignore the shims of fashion and continued to wear these garments.
Maria Rey, Wife of Roelof Meulenaer
Ferdnand Bol, 1650
Oil on canvas
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
A woman is standing timidly, her hands folded, on a terrace. Behind her is a balustrade that culminates in a classical column. The terrace looks out over a wooded landscape. The woman is wearing a triple starched collar, wide around the neck, a black cap with pearls, bracelets around her wrists and pearl earrings. In her hand she has a fashionable fan.
Roelof Meulenaer
Ferdinand Bol, 1650
Oil on canvas
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
The man is looking straight at the viewer, self-assured, even a little disdainful. He is leaning against a balustrade over which his cloak is draped. In the background is a wooded landscape, suggesting perhaps that the man, Roelof Meulenaer, is on the terrace of a Country estate. His pose, hand on hip, turning outward, is a gesture normally reserved for royalty.
Self Portrait
Ferdinand Bol, c.1667
Oil on canvas, 128 x 104 cm
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
Bol present himself as the archetypical man of quality holding a rattan cane in his right hand as he leans nonchalantly on a statue of sleeping Cupid. Posed in a full-bottomed wig and an expensive house coat before a stately column on a base, it is a form of presentation which does not differ from the way in which Bol portrayed his rich clientele.
The canvas is still in its original lime wood frame with auricular carving and festoons which Bol undoubtedly ordered himself.
The Peace Negotiations between Claudius Civilis and Cerealis
Ferdinand Bol, c.1660-70
Oil on canvas 122 x 112,5 cm
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
Standing on opposite sides of a demolished bridge are two warriors. They re negotiating across the divide. The man on the right is Cerealis, recognizable as a Roman from the standard with an eagle behind him. His men are pictured higher up. The man opposite him is Claudius Civilis, a Batavian. His followers are refreshing themselves in the river in the foreground. Fame (Fama) floats in the sky above. She is crowning the two leaders with laurel wreaths.
Venus and Adonis
Ferdinand Bol, C.1657
Oil on canvas 168x 230 cm
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
The story of Venus and Adonis is taken from the tenth book of Ovid's Metamorphoses. Venus, the goddess of love, becomes enamored of the beautiful young huntsman, Adonis. In Bol's painting Venus and the young Cupid try in vain to prevent Adonis from going hunting, as the goddess has had a premonition that the hunting party will have fatal consequences, and indeed the hunter is killed by a wild boar.
Pharaoh's daughter finds Moses in a rush basket
Ferdinand Bol
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
The daughter of the Pharaoh with her company ladies, including a wench at the waterfront at the baths. Two women with fish basket from the water. Part of a group of five works made for the house on the Nieuwe Gracht 6 at Utrecht.
Portrait of a man, sitting with outstretched right hand
Ferdinand Bol
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
In the background a colonnade and a statue of Apollo. The identity of the chairman is unknown, proposed names are: Jacob van Campen, Artus Quellinus and Louis Trip.
Allegory on education
Ferdinand Bol
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Margarita Trip (1640-1714), her sister Anna Maria Trip (1652-1681) teaching. To the left two Putti a great book. In the background a peacock and a fountain with a putto on a dolphin. Right the shield of Minerva.
Portrait of Engel de Ruyter, son of Michiel de Ruyter (1649-1683)
Ferdinand Bol, 1669
Oil on canvas 131 x 112 cm
Mauritshuis, The Hague
The offering of gifts for building Salomon's Temple [detail]
Ferdinand Bol, c 1669
Oil on canvas. 407 × 415 cm
The Hague, Peace Palace, Ferdinand Bol Room
A Lady with a Fan
Ferdinand Bol, about 1645-50
Oil on canvas 83.5 x 69.5 cm
The National Gallery London
Both the style and the costume (particularly the collar) suggest a date in the second half of the 1640s. At that time Bol's portraiture still displayed the strong influence of Rembrandt's work.
An Astronomer
Ferdinand Bol, 1652
Oil on canvas 127 x 135 cm
The National Gallery, London
On the table is a celestial globe, and behind it a terrestrial one. The pose of the figure and his abstracted manner indicate that the painting may belong to the visual tradition of Melancholia, made famous by D rer's work, in which it was suggested that a scholar' research would inevitably lead him to an awareness of the futility of his endeavors in the face of death. The medallion in the centre of the man's belt may show a Roman emperor.
The Toper
Ferdinand Bol, c. 1650
Oil on canvas 89.2 x 82.3 cm
Wallace collection, London
Louise-Marie Gonzaga de Nevers (1611-1667), Queen of Poland
Ferdinand Bol
Oil on Canvas 126.5 x 102 cm
Marei von Saher, the heir of Jacques Goudstikker
Bruce Museum, Greenwich
David's Dying Charge to Solomon
Ferdinand Bol, 1643
Oil on canvas
National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
Jacob's Dream
Ferdinand Bol
Oil on canvas, 128,5 x 97 cm
Gemäldegaleri, Dresden
In his later career Bol turned to a more courtly style anda lighter tonality, the faces of his models look rather pasty, and the highlights on the red velvet he loved to paint appear to have been dusted lightly with talcum powder. In a subject picture like the Jacob's Dream Bol captures something of the mood and tender character of Rembrandt's art of this period; but the elegant and noble attitude of the angel, with its long limbs and aristocratic gesture, is foreign to Rembrandt.
Portrait of a Man
Ferdinand Bol
Oil on canvas, 87 x 72 m
Alte Pinakothek, Munich
Ferdinand Bol entered Rembrandt's studio about 1636-37 and left Rembrandt around 1642 when he began working independently in Amsterdam where he settled for the rest of his life. His early painted portraits are very similar to the commissioned ones Rembrandt made in the late thirties and early forties and in them he successfully incorporates aspects o the transparent chiaroscuro the older master develops during these years.
Governors of the Wine Merchant's Guild
Ferdinand Bol
Oil on canvas, 193 x 305 cm
Alte Pinakothek, Munich
Te many official commissions which Bol received for group portraits of governing bodies are evidence tat he was one of the most successful artists of his day.
Bacchus and Ariadne
Ferdinand Bol,166
Oil on canvas. 160.5 x 182.5 cm
The Hermitage, St-Petersburg Russia
Dead Game
Ferdinand Bol, 1646
Oil on canvas. 99 x 83 cm
The Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia
Moses and Jethro
Ferdinnd Bol, c.1655-1656
Oil on canvas. 81 x 66 cm
The Hermitage, St-Petersburg Russia
Esther and Mardochai
Ferdinand Bol, c.1650
Oil on canvas. 151 x 181 cm
The Hermitage, St-Petersburg Russia
Portrait of an Officer
Ferdinand Bol, 1650s
Oil on canvas. 90 x 72 cm
The Hermitage, St-Petersburg Russia
Portrait of a Scholar Sitting at the Table
Ferdinand Bol, c.1650
Oil on canvas. 122 x 98 cm
The Hermitage, St-Petersburg Russia
Young Woman at a Window
Ferdinand Bol,late 1640s
Oil on canvas. 100 x 84.5 cm
The Hermitage, St-Petersburg Russia
Portrait of an Old Woman with a Book
Ferdinand Bol, 1651
Oil on canvas. 129 x 100 cm
The Hermitage, St-Petersburg Russia
Judah and Tamar
Ferdinand Bol, 1644
Oil on canvas 123.2 x 172.4 cm
Private collection
Elijah Fed by an Angel
Ferdinand Bol, 1660-63
Oil on canvas, 135 x 153 cm
Private collection
The composition and style of this painting reveal the influence of Jacob Jordaens.
Portrait of a Lady
Ferdinand Bol, 1650-54
Oil on canvas, 47 x 34 cm
Private collection
This painting is a bust-length version by Bol of the figure of a woman in his Couple in a Landscape, now in the Court of Justice, The Hague. The sitters of the double portrait have been identified as Hendrick Trip and his first wife, Cecilia Godin.
Petronella Elias (1648–1667) with a Basket of Fruit
Ferdinand Bol, 1657
Oil on canvas 80.3 x 66 cm
Private collection
Bol was a pupil of Rembrandt in the late 1630s, and followed his teacher's style until the middle of the century. During the 1650s Bol became established in Amsterdam societssy, enjoyed considerable success as a portraitist and history painter, and adopted a more colorful, fluid, and Flemish style. The elaborate silver basket in the present picture appears again in a double portrait of 1661 in Antwerp.
Moses with the Tablets of the Law
Ferdinand Bol
oil on canvas 80.7 x 65.9 cm
Private collection
Portrait of a family, An allegory of Education
Ferdinand Bol
oil on canvas 182.5 x 136.5 cm
Private collection
Portrait of a lady, half-length, in a white satin dress
Ferdinand Bol
oil on canvas 109.2 x 90.2 cm
Private collection
The angel appearing to Elijah
Ferdinand Bol
oil on canvas 162 x 178 cm
Private collection
Venus and Cupid
Ferdinand Bol, 1658
oil on canvas 114.3 x 91.5 cm
Private collection
Man with a book
Ferdinand Bol, 1644
oil on canvas 85 x 70 cm
Private collection
Jacob Gerritsz Bornwater
Dordrecht c.1520 - Dordrecht after 1581
About Jacob Bornwater not much is known. He is several times mentioned as a member of the Dordtse Saint Lucasgilde.
In the year 1574, 1579-80 and 1580 - 81. Bornwater painted several religious scenes.
Crucifixion of Christ
Jacob Gerrits Bornwater, 1554
Panel, 60 x 40 cm
Dordrechts Mueum
Jacobus Bornwater Dordracenus Pictor painted me pingebat [Jacob Bornwater painter from Dordrecht me] 1554' states left below the picture. A signed and dated religious work from the 16th century is generally rare and in Dordrecht unique. In one painting are here different moments from the crucifixion of Christ unified. Bornwater painted a luxuriance on figures, animals and narrative details, in crisp colors. The picture was supposedly this middle pane of a three-paneled picture. It is stated in Matthijs Balens Beschrijvinge of the Stadt Dordrecht (1677). The panel was then possessed by the Heilige Geesthuis (Sacred Spirit house), a hospital that stood on the place where now the Dordrechts Museum stands.
St. Jerome in his study
Jacob Gerrits Bornwater, c.1540
Oil on Panel 80 x 58.5 cm
Private collection
The 4th-century Saint Jerome was one of the four Fathers of the Church, and is often represented in the Renaissance. He was famous for the Vulgate - the translation of the Bible into Latin - and is often depicted in his study.
Adriaan van der Burg
Dordrecht 1693 - Dordrecht 1733
Adrian van der Burg was an apprentice of Arnold Houbraken. In 1709/10 he joined Arnold Houbraken who moved to Amsterdam. Vander Burg returned to Dordrecht in 1714 and on 24 November 1715 he married at Dordrecht. Aert Schouman was his apprentice and should became more famous then his master.
Van der Burg was known as portrait painter. The Duke van Arenberg let him come to Brussels in 1728to paint his portrait. Also in Dordrecht he got assignments, in particular from regent families.
He was only 40 ears of age when he suddenly died in 1733.
Self portrait with his wife
Adriaan van der Burg, 1729
copper, 49 x 39 cm
Dordrechts Museum
Van der Burg was known to contemporaries as a gifted portraitist of important families. Van de Berg was also known as someone with a rather riotous living. This self-portrait at the age of 36, probably with his wife, shows his painterly qualities. The stylish decorative character and the colors are clearly 18th century.
Sleeping woman
Adriaan van der Burg
panel 32 x 41 cm
Dordrechts Museum
Paradise landscape with Adam and Eve
Adriaan van der Burg
Oil on Wood 38 x 29.5 cm
Private collection
Family portrait
Adriaan van der Burg, 1716
Oil on Copper 85 x 74 cm
Private collection
A lute player
Adriaan van der Burg
Oil on panel 14 x 12 cm
Private collection