Satire on the Trial of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
7.8; 63; 85.7
About this artwork
? from the painter to the Teding van Berkhout family;{According to a document preserved in the Rijksmuseum, RP-P-OB-77.314, dated 15 March 1851. This is a copy of a document probably written by a former owner of the painting, C.P.L. Hanninschat, 18th century (?), which was published in J. den Tex, _Oldenbarnevelt_, IV, Haarlem 1970, pp. 655-58. It is part of the ‘dossier’ mentioned in the catalogue for the sale, Baroness Taets van Amerongen van Natewisch, née Hodshon, et al., Amsterdam (F. Mulle...
Art Historical Context
Cornelis Saftleven's *Satire on the Trial Johan van Oldenbarvelt* (1663), an oil on canvas measuring 63 x 85.7 cm, captures a tumultuous moment from Dutch history in the Rijksmuseum's collection. Painted during the Dutch Golden Age, Saftleven—a master of lively genre scenes and satirical works—depicts the infamous 1619 trial of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, the powerful Grand Pensionary of Holland. Accused of treason amid religious and political strife with Prince Maurice of Orange, Oldenbarnevelt faced 24 judges before his execution, an event that symbolized deep divisions in the young Republic. ...
About the Artist
Cornelis Saftleven
Cornelis Saftleven (c. 1607–1681) was born in Gorinchem into a family of artists, with his father Herman Saftleven and brothers Abraham and Herman Saftleven the Younger also painters. He likely learned his craft from his father in Rotterdam, where the family was active, and later collaborated closely with his brother Herman in Utrecht around 1634, developing innovative stable interiors as a new mo...