Who painted Portrait of Cornelia, Clara and Johanna Veth?

Portrait of Cornelia, Clara and Johanna Veth was painted by Jan Veth in 1885.

Where can I see Portrait of Cornelia, Clara and Johanna Veth?

Portrait of Cornelia, Clara and Johanna Veth is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Portrait of Cornelia, Clara and Johanna Veth?

Portrait of Cornelia, Clara and Johanna Veth is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Artwork

Portrait of Cornelia, Clara and Johanna Veth

Jan Veth , 1885

Portrait of Cornelia, Clara and Johanna Veth is an unspecified painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Veth. It dates from 1885 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Created in 1885 by their brother, this oil portrait depicts three of the Veth sisters seated side‑by‑side.

About this work

Their father thought the painting looked too harsh, like the sadness in their faces.

Three young women sit stiffly in a row, hands folded in their laps. Their faces are pale, their mouths tight. The room behind them is dark and plain.

The artist was their brother, painting them at home in 1885. Their mother was sick, and would die soon after. The girls don’t smile—maybe they couldn’t. Their father thought the painting looked too harsh, like the sadness in their faces.

To see how other artists showed family at home, visit the Rijksmuseum.

Overview

Created in 1885 by their brother, this oil portrait depicts three of the Veth sisters seated side‑by‑side. The composition is restrained: each figure sits upright, hands folded, against an unadorned dark backdrop. Their expressions are solemn, with pale complexions and tightly pressed lips, conveying a mood of quiet tension.

Subject & Meaning

The three young women are the artist’s sisters, then aged around twenty, living at home during a period of familial distress. Their mother’s declining mental health and impending death loom over the scene, which may explain the lack of smiles and the overall sense of unease captured in their faces.

Technique & Style

The painter employed a realistic, tight‑rendered approach, emphasizing fine detail in the sisters’ features. The stark lighting and muted palette heighten the starkness of the figures, while the smooth, almost clinical brushwork contributes to the father’s impression that the likeness is accurate but overly harsh.

History & Provenance

The portrait remained in the Veth family after its completion. The father, while acknowledging the accuracy of the depiction, expressed a preference for softer facial rendering, perhaps reflecting his desire to soften the visible sorrow. The work later entered public collections, where it is displayed as an example of domestic portraiture from the late nineteenth century.

Context

Domestic family portraiture in the Netherlands during the 1880s often idealized subjects, presenting harmonious interiors. This painting diverges from that norm, offering a candid glimpse into personal hardship and the emotional climate of a household coping with maternal illness.