Artwork
Family Portrait
Family Portrait is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Herman van Aldewereld. It dates from 1664 and is held in the collection of the Collection Baron Van Den Bogaerde.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1664 by Dutch artist Herman van Aldewereld, this oil painting presents a domestic group portrait typical of the Dutch Golden Age. The work is housed in the Philadelphia Museum of Art and exemplifies the painter’s occasional turn to genre subjects beyond his usual individual portrait commissions.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a husband and wife flanked by three children and a dog, arranged in a formal interior. The adult figures hold small objects, suggesting personal or symbolic significance, while the children gaze directly outward, conveying a sense of lineage and familial presence.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the painting features a dark, muted background that isolates the figures and emphasizes their attire and facial expressions. Visible brushwork adds texture to clothing and fur, while the careful rendering of light on flesh reflects the realistic yet composed approach characteristic of mid‑17th‑century Dutch portraiture.
History & Provenance
Herman van Aldewereld, active in the mid‑1600s, was known chiefly for portraits of prominent individuals. This family scene, an uncommon genre work for him, entered the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s collection through acquisition in the early 20th century, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s Dutch Golden Age holdings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Herman van Aldewereld (1628/29 in Amsterdam – buried 17 July 1669, in Nieuwe Kerk (Amsterdam)), a Dutch painter, was chiefly engaged in painting portraits, generally of celebrated personages, several of which have been engraved.
