Dutch 17th Century

Anonymous Dutch 17th Century

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Shown from the waist up, a young woman sits on the other side of the edge of a table, leaning toward us on one elbow in this vertical painting. She looks at us with dark brown eyes under faint, arched brows. She has pale skin with flushed cheeks, a long, rounded nose, and her ruby-red lips are parted. Her brown hair is tucked into a wide, conical hat with gray, pale yellow, and ash-brown vertical stripes. Light falls across her face from our right, so the hat casts a shadow over her eyes and on the far cheek, to our left. Light glints off of two teardrop-shaped pearl earrings. Her muted blue bodice has a few touches of topaz and sky blue create a brocade-like floral pattern. The bodice is trimmed with a wide band of white fur down the front and around the cuffs, which come down just beyond her elbows. A white kerchief tucked into the bodice covers her shoulders. She leans onto her left forearm, to our right, and that arm is close and parallel to the bottom edge of the composition. In that hand she holds a golden flute like a pencil, and her other hand rests against the edge of the table. She leans to our right so we can see the gold lion's head finial at the top of her wooden chair. The area behind her is painted with patches of harvest yellow, fawn brown, muted brick red, and parchment white to create a loosely patterned drapery that fills the background.
Dutch 17th Century, Girl with a Flute, c. 1669/1675, oil on panel, Widener Collection, 1942.9.98

Girl with a Flute

Dutch 17th Century · c. 1669/1675 · oil on panel ·  Accession ID  1942.9.98

This is an ornate goblet crafted from a nautilus shell mounted on a decorative stand. The shell has an off-white color with delicate orange patterns and is carved with swirling designs. The shell is set into an intricate golden-colored metal holder, and the stem of the goblet seems to depict a human figure with a fish tail and what looks like wings. The gold base features elaborate floral patterns.
Dutch 17th Century, Swedish 17th Century, Nautilus Cup, c. 1650 (etching), c. 1670 (mount), nautilus shell (nacreous layer with etched low relief), silver, and gilded silver, Patrons' Permanent Fund, 2022.124.1

Nautilus Cup

Dutch 17th Century, Swedish 17th Century · c. 1650 (etching), c. 1670 (mount) · nautilus shell (nacreous layer with etched low relief), silver, and gilded silver ·  Accession ID  2022.124.1

The lifeless body of a bearded young man partly wrapped in an ivory cloth is being lowered from a cross to a group of people at its foot in this vertical painting. All the people have peachy or pale skin, and most are dressed in cream white and shades of brown. The body and head of the dead man, Jesus, slump to our left, eyes closed and mouth hanging open. His arms and hands are streaked with red, and drips of blood dot his head. Two men on ladders propped against the back of the cross reach over the top crossbar, and one man on our right holds Jesus’s left wrist. A long white cloth is draped over the crossbar and falls to wrap around Jesus’s hips. Two more men stand on the ladders on either side of the cross, one with his arm around Jesus’s torso while the other reaches forward to hold a torch that dramatically lights the cluster of bodies. An older man with white hair and beard, wearing a scarlet-red tunic, stands in front and cradles the hips and legs of Jesus as he is lowered. Six people stand to the right of the old man and the cross. A strong light falls on the face of a pale, older woman. Her eyes are closed, her mouth open, and her arms limp as she is caught by the people around her. The men in the group wear hats and the women’s heads are covered with scarves. From the shadows to the left of the cross, near the edge of the painting, the pale face of a woman peers onto the scene. The landscape behind the cross and group is deep in shadow, but rust-red streaks line the horizon in the distance.
Dutch 17th Century, Constantijn van Renesse, The Descent from the Cross, 1650/1652, oil on canvas, Widener Collection, 1942.9.61

The Descent from the Cross

Dutch 17th Century, Constantijn van Renesse · 1650/1652 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1942.9.61

Shown from the knees up, a pale-skinned woman wearing a black dress with white cuffs and a wide, starched collar sits in a wooden chair against a dark brown background in this vertical portrait painting. Her body faces us and she looks off to our left with brown eyes. She has slight jowls at her chin and her eyes, mouth, and forehead are lined. Her hair is pulled back under a close-fitting black cap. Extending straight from around her neck, her white collar is pleated into narrow figure-eights and nearly reaches her shoulders. She wears a brown stole over her velvety black dress, and both nearly blend with the dark background. She holds a pair of pince-nez spectacles in her right hand, which rests on a thick book in her lap. The spine faces her right, and the opposite edge is fastened with metal clasps. A braided cord affixed to the narrow end of the book near us creates a loop.
Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch 17th Century, An Old Lady with a Book, 1637, oil on canvas, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1937.1.73

An Old Lady with a Book

Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch 17th Century · 1637 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1937.1.73

Shown from the waist up, a bearded man with a tanned, peachy complexion wears a turban and voluminous robes and looks out at us in this vertical portrait painting. Lit strongly from the left, the man’s brow is slightly furrowed over brown eyes, and his gray beard is trimmed. His turban is accented with a gold chain and feather, and his fur-lined robe is clasped over a burgundy-red garment with another gold chain. His right hand, on our left, grasps a sash that wraps around his waist, while his other hand rests on a wooden staff. The gray background behind the man deepens into shadows at the corners. The artist’s signature is painted to our left near the man’s upper arm. The first letter “R” is missing so it reads “embrandt ft.”
Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch 17th Century, Govaert Flinck, Man in Oriental Costume, c. 1635, oil on linen, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1940.1.13

Man in Oriental Costume

Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch 17th Century, Govaert Flinck · c. 1635 · oil on linen ·  Accession ID  1940.1.13

Dutch 17th Century, Standing Dish (Tazza), 1618, silver, Patrons' Permanent Fund and Greg and Candy Fazakerley Fund, 2023.52.1

Standing Dish (Tazza)

Dutch 17th Century · 1618 · silver ·  Accession ID  2023.52.1

The image shows a baby lying down on its back, sleeping peacefully. The baby has closed eyes and a gentle expression, with soft hair covering its head. The baby is unclothed and rests on a fabric-covered surface. In the background, there is a large skull above the baby. The background is dark, emphasizing light on the child.
Dutch 17th Century, Memento Mori, c. 1680, mezzotint on laid paper, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 2015.74.3

Memento Mori

Dutch 17th Century · c. 1680 · mezzotint on laid paper ·  Accession ID  2015.74.3

It appears that a piece of paper printed in black and gray, showing a portrait of an older, bearded man, has been stuck to a wood panel using a red wax seal in this vertical composition. The cream-colored paper is crinkled and creased with wide margins around the portrait. The printed portrait shows a man from the chest up, angled to our right but looking out at us. The inner corners of his eyes are in deep shadow and he has a bulbous nose over a long, full beard. He wears a wide, soft hat tipped down to our right. He wears a heavy coat or jacket, possibly fur. His hands rest on the top of a cane, suggesting he is seated. A cross hangs from a long chain around his neck. The print is signed at dated at the top right corner of the printed image: “F. Bol. F 1642.” The glimmering red wax seal holding the paper to the wood board is imprinted with a shield. The wood itself is light tan almost with a greenish tint, and it has a dark knot near the lower left corner. Only upon closer inspection do we realize that the entire work is a single painting, and is not an actual print affixed to a wooden board.
Dutch 17th Century, Flemish 17th century, Trompe l'Oeil of an Etching by Ferdinand Bol, c. 1675, oil on panel, Fund given in honor of Derald Ruttenberg's Grandchildren, 2016.3.1

Trompe l'Oeil of an Etching by Ferdinand Bol

Dutch 17th Century, Flemish 17th century · c. 1675 · oil on panel ·  Accession ID  2016.3.1

The image depicts an etching of a naval battle scene from a high vantage point, showing the action at sea. The horizon is high in the composition, obscured by ships and cannon fire smoke. The linework is detailed, capturing the ships' movements and battle energy. The color palette is monochromatic, focusing on black and white shades to highlight contrast and detail. Ships are engaged in battle with detailed masts and sails. In the distance, more ships and explosions can be seen. A decorative banner above the scene adds graphic design. Below, Dutch text provides context about the Third Anglo-Dutch Sea Battle in 1673.
Dutch 17th Century, De Derde Zee-slagh (The Third Sea Battle), 1673, etching and letterpress on laid paper, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 2003.5.1

De Derde Zee-slagh (The Third Sea Battle)

Dutch 17th Century · 1673 · etching and letterpress on laid paper ·  Accession ID  2003.5.1

Shown from the shoulders up, the head of a pale-skinned, elderly man with a long beard and short brown hair takes up most of this vertical portrait painting. The man’s face is turned slightly to our right, and his amber eyes gaze in that direction. Thick strokes of taupe, smoke gray, harvest gold, and flecks of black paint form his thick, chest-length beard. Patches of peach, butterscotch yellow, and rust red create his face. Wide squiggles of chestnut and tawny brown suggest short curls under a coffee-brown cap. The loose painting technique blurs his features, and his shoulders are suggested by sloping areas of coffee and chestnut brown below his head. He is lit from our left so the far side of his face is in shadow, and he is set against an earth-brown background.
Dutch 17th Century, Head of Saint Matthew, probably early 1660s, oil on panel, Widener Collection, 1942.9.58

Head of Saint Matthew

Dutch 17th Century · probably early 1660s · oil on panel ·  Accession ID  1942.9.58