DOUVEN, Jan Frans

Dutch portrait painter belonging to the Dutch Leiden School. Born in the Netherlands, he spent most of his life as Court painter in Düsseldorf, Germany, where he created most of his works.

According to Houbraken, his father Gerard Douven was a canon priest in the Roermond chapter and had spent several years in Rome, where he learned to appreciate art. He gave his enthusiasm to his son taught him Latin by age eleven and some art techniques. His father died young however (aged 33), and his mother apprenticed him for two years in Liege under the supervision of the painter Gabriel Lambertin (who had also studied in Rome).

His work was noticed by Don Jan Dellano Velasco, the minister of finance in Roermond for Charles II of Spain. He spent 3 years working for him, copying the works of Roman painters in his large painting cabinet[.

In 1682 he moved in Düsseldorf, as the official painter of the Court of Elector Palatine of Rhineland, Johann Wilhelm von der Pfalz-Neuburg. Starting from 1682 he worked on a series of paintings ordered by Elector Palatine. These paintings depict scenes from the daily life of the Prince and his second wife, Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici (Scenes from the life of the Court of Düsseldorf). Van Douven played a major role in the establishment of the Painting Gallery of the Palace of Düsseldorf.

Van Douven also travelled to Vienna, accompanying the Elector Palatine on a journey. On this occasion he painted the portraits of the Emperor and the Empress. He also painted portraits of other princes and aristocrats or celebrities, such as the famous musician Arcangelo Corelli.