Lot 165: Circle of Johannes Mijtens (The Hague c. 1614-1670)

Circle of Johannes Mijtens (The Hague c. 1614-1670)
Portrait of Margaretha de Ruyter (1652-1688), three-quarter-length, in a white satin dress with a blue wrap, a string of pearls in her hand, standing in a park landscape near a fountain
oil on canvas
128.6 x 109.4 cm.

Rotterdam, Historisch Museum, Bezeten Bezit, Keuzetentoonstelling uit de verzameling van Mevrouw W.G. Elias-Vaes te Rotterdam, 18 April-1 August 1970, no. 4, as 'attributed to Jurriaen Jacobson'.
On loan to the Zeeuws Museum, Middelburg, 1976-85.
Maritiem Museum 'Prins Hendrik', Rotterdam (according to a label on reverse).

(Probably) commissioned by the parents of the sitter;
(Probably) by descent to their daughter Margaretha Somer-de Ruyter (1652-1688), Amsterdam;
(Probably) by descent to her daughter Margaretha de Wilhem-Somer (1680-1738), Amsterdam;
(Probably) by descent to her son David de Leu de Wilhem (1705-1768), Amsterdam;
(Probably) by descent to his daughter Magtelina Henrietta Elias-de Wilhem (1730-1797), Amsterdam;
(Probably) by descent to her son Pieter Elias (1756-1813), Amsterdam;
(Probably) by descent to his son Gerbrand Elias (1780-1814), Schiedam;
(Probably) by descent to his son Pieter Elias (1807-1857), Amsterdam;
(Probably) by descent to his son Gerbrand Pieter Elias (1834-1913), Amsterdam;
by descent to his son Pieter Elias (1872-1955), Nijmegen;
by descent to his son Adrien Elias (1903-1963), Rotterdam;
by descent to his wife Wilhelmina Gerardina Elias-Vaes (1908-2002), Rotterdam.

Christie’s charges a premium to the buyer on the Hammer Price of each lot sold at the following rates: 29.75% of the Hammer Price of each lot up to and including €20,000, plus 23.8% of the Hammer Price between €20,001 and €800.000, plus 14.28% of any amount in excess of €800.000. Buyer’s premium is calculated on the basis of each lot individually.
Margaretha de Ruyter (1652-1688), was the sixth child of Michiel de Ruyter, born from the marriage with his third wife Anna van Gelder. Only three of De Ruyter's daughters married and had children, which meant the bloodline was passed on through the female side of the family. Margaretha was to become the founder of the bloodline that is connected with the Elias dynasty.

Margaretha married Bernardus Somer, who was a well known and respected preacher, on 28 March 1673. Together they had five children, of whom Margaretha Somer married Coenraad de Wilhelm in 1701. The eldest of five, David de Wilhelm preserved the link with his great-grandfathers' maritime connection by becoming a director of the East Indian Company. He married Clara Susanna Backer, and had a daughter Machtelina Henrietta de Wilhelm. She married Gerbrand Elias, who was also, amongst other things, a director of the East Indian Company.

The traditional attribution of this painting to Jurriaen Jacobson is presumably based on the painting of the De Ruyter family by Jacobson of 1662 in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv.no. SK-A-26-96).