Dutch School, 1619

Portrait of Hendrik van Coeverden
inscribed and dated HENRICVS A COVERDEN / JOANNIS FILIVS AETATIS (with the A and E conjoined) 4 / VLTIMO MAIJ / ANNO 1619 in the upper left

oil on canvas

37½ × 26¾ inches (95.2 x 67.8 cm.)

PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, South America

LITERATURE

S.E. Craft-Giepmans, “Hendrik van Coeverden, wie van de drie?” in De Nederlandsche Leeuw, 127, 2010, no. 1, illustrated

Hendrik van Coeverden tot Walfort (June 11, 1615 – March 28, 1685) was the ninth child of Johan van Coeverden tot Rhaen and Frederika Margaretha van Lintelo. In 1630 he was a pupil at the grammar school of Coesfeld, Westphalia. On July 14, 1642 he was admitted to the Knighthood of Zutphen. On June 21, 1646 Hendrik married Adriana van Lintelo (d. 1671) the daughter of Willem van Lintelo tot de Ehze and Johanna van Dorth in Zutphen. He inherited the manor hourse Walfort in Aalten (still standing) which remained in the Van Coeverden family until 1729.¹ His possessions were inherited by the Van Lintelo family and are now part of the collection at Keppel Castle. He was also distantly related to the founder of Vancouver, Canada – George Vancouver. ² (For an indepth discussion of the family history see S.E. Craft-Giepmans, “Hendrik van Coeverden, wie van de drie?” op. cit..)

Hendrik stands on a tiled floor against a brown wall. He wears an orange doublet with silver buttons and gold embroidery of a flower and leaf pattern with flat wings and matching sleeves accompanied by a long attached grey and orange patterned skirt. The skirt is split in front to reveal a yellow underskirt with black trim topped by a green apron. Looped through the apron string is a large white linen handkerchief edged with lace that matches the lace of the cuffs and ruff. Lace at this time was often more costly than woven fabrics and even jewelry, and was regarded as an important fashion statement as well as a mark of prosperity.³ A large gold medal on a white ribbon hangs around his neck. Attached from his shoulders are leading strings (bands sewn to the upper garments of young children so an adult could support the child when learning to walk). In Hendrik’s right hand he displays a bunch of grapes and in his left an apple. A bunch of grapes was the traditional symbol for fruitfulness. Its meaning conveys not only a wish for a happy full life for the child, but is also emblematic of the success of his parent’s union. The perfection of the raised grapes is further reflective of the concept that the child should be well bred. It was believed of central importance to a fruitful marriage, not so much the quantity, but the quality of the children produced. The symbolism of the apple parallels the ideology of the grapes. ⁴

Both boys and girls of this age wore skirts and aprons, and there does not appear to be a set point at which it was felt appropriate to transfer young boys into breeches. The average age appears to have been about seven but this was not a steadfast rule.⁵ Hendrik would normally not have been dressed in such elegant fashion. Instead, the portrait is a testament to the family’s position as well as an embodiment of the timeless and universal feelings of love and aspiration parents have for their children.

¹ Taken from S. E. Craft-Giepmans, “Hendrik van Coeverden,” op. cit..

² Written communications from Sabine Craft-Giepmans dated February 15, 2010 and February 16, 2010.

³ Santina M. Levey and Patricia Wardle, The Finishing Touch, Frederiksborg Museum, Denmark, 1994, p. 4.

⁴ Jan Bapptist Bedaux, The Reality of Symbols, Gary Schwartz ISDU Publishers, The Hague, 1990, pp. 103, 132.

⁵ Saskia Kuus, “Children’s Costume in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries” in Pride and Joy, Children’s Portraits in the Netherlands, 1500-1700, exhibition catalogue Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem, October 7 – December 31, 2000, pp. 79-82.

Home Page | Upcoming | Catalog | About Us | Services | Search | Contact Us | Links