Artwork
Inspectors of the Collegium Medicum in Amsterdam, 1724
Inspectors of the Collegium Medicum in Amsterdam, 1724 is an unspecified painting by the Rococo painting artist Cornelis Troost. It dates from 1724 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The work is a group portrait dating from 1724 that depicts the six members of Amsterdam’s medical board, the Collegium Medicum.
About this work
The artist painted every face with tiny brushstrokes, so you can still read the names on the papers they hold.
Six men in dark coats and white collars stand in a row, each holding a book or paper.
This is a group portrait of Amsterdam’s medical board in 1724. The artist painted every face with tiny brushstrokes, so you can still read the names on the papers they hold. It’s rare to see a whole committee shown at work, not just posing.
To see more paintings like this—where groups look official but feel alive—visit the Rijksmuseum.
Overview
The work is a group portrait dating from 1724 that depicts the six members of Amsterdam’s medical board, the Collegium Medicum. The figures stand side by side, each dressed in dark coats with white collars, and each holds a document that bears his name.
Subject & Meaning
From left to right the portrait identifies Hendrik van Bronkhorst, Jeronimo de Bosch, Daniël van Buren, Martinus Haesbaert, Casparus Commelin and Joost ter Pelkwijk. By showing the officials with their papers, the painting emphasizes their administrative function rather than merely presenting a formal likeness.
Technique & Style
The artist rendered the faces with fine, almost stippled brushwork, allowing the individual features and the inscriptions on the documents to remain legible. The composition is restrained, with a uniform background that keeps attention on the figures and their scholarly attire.
History & Provenance
Created in the early eighteenth century, the painting has remained associated with the Rijksmuseum’s collection of Dutch civic portraiture. It serves as a visual record of the medical governance structure in Amsterdam during the period.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Cornelis Troost (8 October 1696 – 7 March 1750) was a Dutch actor and painter from Amsterdam.
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