Artwork

Portrait of Govert van Slingelandt (1623-1690), with his First Wife Christina van Beveren (1632-1656) and their Two Children

Portrait of Govert van Slingelandt (1623-1690), with his First Wife Christina van Beveren (1632-1656) and their Two Children is an unspecified painting by the Baroque artist Johannes Mytens. It dates from 1657 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Back then, people used these symbols to remind viewers that happiness doesn’t last.

A well-dressed man and woman sit under a tree with two little boys. One boy holds grapes; the other blows bubbles. A small dog watches nearby.

This family portrait was painted in 1657, but the artist’s name is lost. The bubbles and grapes aren’t just cute—they hint at life’s shortness. Back then, people used these symbols to remind viewers that happiness doesn’t last.

If you like this quiet, detailed style, look up the Baroque movement.

Overview

The canvas depicts Govert van Slingelandt, a 17th‑century Dordrecht pensionary, together with his first wife Christina van Beveren and their two sons, Barthoud and Govert Johan. The family is arranged beneath a leafy tree within a pastoral landscape, a small dog positioned at their right. Executed in 1657, the work remains unsigned, its creator unidentified.

Subject & Meaning

The composition balances domestic intimacy with symbolic caution. The elder boy clutches a bunch of grapes, a traditional emblem of earthly abundance and the fleeting nature of pleasure. The younger child, perched on his mother’s lap, blows soap bubbles—another vanitas motif underscoring the transience of life and happiness.

Technique & Style

Rendered in the detailed, restrained manner typical of mid‑Baroque Dutch portraiture, the painting employs fine brushwork to delineate textiles, foliage, and animal fur. A muted colour palette and careful modelling of light give the scene a calm, naturalistic atmosphere, while the inclusion of still‑life elements integrates genre symbolism within the family portrait.

History & Provenance

Commissioned in 1657, the portrait likely served as a commemorative piece for the van Slingelandt household. Though the artist’s identity has been lost, the work has survived in private collections before entering a museum context, where it now functions as a documentary record of a prominent Dordrecht family and their social standing.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Johannes Mytens

Johannes Mytens or Jan Mijtens, or "Mytens" to the English (c. 1614 – 24 December 1670) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, almost entirely as a portraitist. Mytens was born in The Hague. According to Houbraken, Johannes…