Portrait of a Boy with a Dog

Jan Albertsz Rootius, ca.1615 - ca.1674


Portrait of a Boy with a Dog

Jan Albertsz Rootius ca.1615 - ca.1674

Summary

According to the Latin inscription, the child is one year old. At this age all children wore dresses, but here the gold chain indicates that the sitter is a boy. The lace costume and gold rattle (a rinkelbel, to ward off evil) are valuable items, indicating that he comes from a wealthy family. Although the ornate frame bears the crest of the House of Orange, it is unlikely to be original to the painting, so the boy's identity remains unknown. The well-behaved dog and the grapes represent education, obedience and the rearing of children. This painting belongs to a seventeenth-century Dutch tradition of child portraiture in which children were shown in formal dress, surrounded by toys, pets, fruit and often holding a silver rattle. Such commissions could record a child's life at a time when life expectancy was low, and would often mark a significant date such as the first birthday, as in this case. Affording such a painting also pointed to the status and wealth of the patron, as evidenced by the lavish dress and accessories. The rattles were often family heirlooms. Rotius painted this portrait while living in the town of Hoorn.

Display Label

Portrait of a boy with a dog 1660 Jan Albertsz Rotius 1624-66 Oil on canvas According to the inscription, the child is one year old. At this age all children wore dresses, but here the gold chain indicates that the sitter is a boy. He certainly comes from a wealthy family, as the lace costume and gold rattle were valuable items. The ornate frame bears the arms of the House of Orange, but it is unlikely to be original to the painting so the boy’s identity remains unknown. The well-behaved dog and the grapes represent education, obedience and the rearing of children. Rotius painted this while living in the town of Hoorn. He was the contemporary of Abraham Liedts, whose work hangs nearby. Bequeathed by Miss Catherine Scott 1930.54


Object Name

Portrait of a Boy with a Dog

Creators Name

Jan Albertsz Rootius

Date Created

1660

Dimensions

Canvas: 114.6cm x 88cm
frame: 144cm x 115cm

accession number

1930.54

Place of creation

Holland

Support

canvas

Medium

oil paint

On Display

[G14] Manchester Art Gallery - Gallery 14 - TEMPORARILY CLOSED
View all

Credit

Bequeathed by Miss Catherine Scott

Legal

© Manchester Art Gallery


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