Familiegroep bij een klavecimbel
1739
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
94; 82.5
About this artwork
…; collection of Matthijs Bartholomeus Wezelaar (?-1922);{Note RMA.} his son, Han Wezelaar (1901-84), Laren; from whom , fl. 18,000, to the museum, 1942
Art Historical Context
Cornelis Troost’s 1739 oil on canvas captures an intimate family gathering around a harpsichord, a scene that reflects the refined domestic life of the Dutch upper classes in the eighteenth century. Measuring roughly 94 by 82 centimeters, the painting exemplifies the period’s taste for “conversation pieces”—group portraits that celebrated music, education, and familial harmony as markers of prosperity and culture. Troost, active in Amsterdam during the final decades of the Dutch Republic, specialized in such lively yet elegant compositions. The presence of the harpsichord underscores the impo...
About the Artist
Cornelis Troost · 1696–1750
Comment on works: Portraits; Genre