This is an excellent choice. I have seen the portrait often in the museum in Amsterdam. The gentleman on the right is Adriaan Verduyn, I did research after some of his relations. The other two gentlemen are (from the top of my head) Hartman and Huyzer. The surgeonsguild had some real quacks in it, but at least some stylish ones. There are two delicate stories about this portrait. If I remember correctly the man on the left (being Mr. Hartman) holds his degree in his hand, it turned out to be false therefore it caused a scandal. And the other thing was that the gentlemen who sit so proudly didn't pay a single thing for having themselves painted, they took the money from the cash of the guild... the other men in the guild were not that happy with that, because it meant there was less to spend for their annual bacchanal :-)
I can't agree more, sometimes that background story to a painting makes it all the more wonderful. I knew about the scandals with the degree and theguild money (Hmm sounds like the last CT governor who ended up in jail...) which is one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. I am tres impressed you were able to pull those names off the top of your head!
This is an excellent choice. I have seen the portrait often in the museum in Amsterdam. The gentleman on the right is Adriaan Verduyn, I did research after some of his relations. The other two gentlemen are (from the top of my head) Hartman and Huyzer.
ReplyDeleteThe surgeonsguild had some real quacks in it, but at least some stylish ones.
There are two delicate stories about this portrait. If I remember correctly the man on the left (being Mr. Hartman) holds his degree in his hand, it turned out to be false therefore it caused a scandal. And the other thing was that the gentlemen who sit so proudly didn't pay a single thing for having themselves painted, they took the money from the cash of the guild... the other men in the guild were not that happy with that, because it meant there was less to spend for their annual bacchanal :-)
@Alexander van Haart nice facts!
ReplyDeleteI love when behind a painting there's a good story to be told
I can't agree more, sometimes that background story to a painting makes it all the more wonderful. I knew about the scandals with the degree and theguild money (Hmm sounds like the last CT governor who ended up in jail...) which is one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. I am tres impressed you were able to pull those names off the top of your head!
ReplyDelete