Artwork
Group portrait with allegorical overtones of the children of Diederic Pietersz van Leyden van Leeuwen (1628-1682), burgomaster of Leiden, and Alida Paets (1625-1673)
Group portrait with allegorical overtones of the children of Diederic Pietersz van Leyden van Leeuwen (1628-1682), burgomaster of Leiden, and Alida Paets (1625-1673) is an oil painting by Daniel Mijtens the Younger. It is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
The composition gathers seven figures—five adults and two youngsters—in a garden setting, their attire richly colored and adorned with accessories.
Daniël Mijtens the Younger’s 1690 oil painting presents the children of Diederic Pietersz van Leyden van Leeuwen, the burgomaster of Leiden, and his wife Alida Paets. The composition gathers seven figures—five adults and two youngsters—in a garden setting, their attire richly colored and adorned with accessories. The work belongs to the Dutch Golden Age tradition of group portraiture and is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait records a prominent Leiden family, emphasizing status through elaborate dress, jewelry, and staged poses that echo allegorical or narrative figures rather than casual domestic scenes. A young child is shown reading, suggesting education and virtue, while the adults’ gestures—leaning on pillars, holding fans—convey refinement and the social expectations of the civic elite.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the painting displays the fine brushwork and attention to texture characteristic of late‑17th‑century Dutch portraiture. Mijtens employs a balanced arrangement of light and shadow to model the figures, while the garden backdrop, with dark trees, a red drapery, and a cloud‑filled sky, provides a theatrical stage that enhances the formal atmosphere.
History & Provenance
Created in 1690, the work remained in the van Leyden van Leeuwen family before entering public ownership. It was acquired by the Rijksmuseum, where it has been displayed as part of the museum’s representation of Dutch Golden Age portraiture, illustrating the civic and familial values of the period.
Context
The painting reflects the broader Dutch practice of commemorating civic leaders and their families through elaborate group portraits. Such works often combined realistic likenesses with symbolic elements, reinforcing the patron’s social standing and moral virtues within a cultivated, almost theatrical, environment.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Daniël Mijtens the Younger (Dutch pronunciation: ; 7 August 1644 in The Hague – buried on 23 September 1688 in The Hague) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and the son of Daniel Mytens the Elder, although some early…
