Dubbelportret van Constantijn Huygens (1596-1687) en Suzanna van Baerle (1599-1637)

Campen, Jacob van (1595-1657)


Item type:
painting
Date of creation:
ca. 1635
Height:
95.0 cm  (37 3/8 in.)
Width:
78.5 cm  (30 15/16 in.)
Technique / Medium:
oil on canvas
Place of creation:
Den Haag

Additional titles

Double portrait of Constantijn Huygens (1596-1687) and Suzanna van Baerle (1599-1637)

    Item location

  • Mauritshuis
    [Museum inv. no.: 1089]

Description

This portrait was painted by the architect of the Mauritshuis, Jacob van Campen, and the man portrayed, Constantijn Huygens. Huygens is portrayed with his wife, Suzanna van Baerle. Van Campen depicted him in profile, a pose reminiscent of portrait medallions of classical antiquity. Suzanna, by contrast, bends forward slightly to look at the viewer. Together they hold a sheet of music, symbolic of their harmonious marriage.

People as subjects

Huygens, Constantijn (1596-1687) (Musician portrait)

Musical works

legible music notation

Image URLs

image link 1
RKD record
image link 2
Mauritshuis image with enlargeable details
image link 3
Het Geheugen van Nederland

Bibliographic references

Held, J. S. "Constantijn Huygens and Susanna van Baerle: A hitherto unknown portrait", The art bulletin 73/4 (December 1991) 653-668.

Buvelot, Quentin. Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis: A summary catalogue (Zwolle: Waanders, 2004) 13, 88-89, no. 6 and no. 1089. ISBN: 9040089582.

Notes

Notes from the Buvelot catalogue (2004): "C. Huygens was secretary of three successive stadhouders. He played a pivotal role in the political and cultural life of The Hague. He was also a musician and poet. In 1627 he married Suzanna van Baerle. This is the only surviving portrait of her, whereas several portraits of Huygens are known."

RIdIM record id

3180