SANTVOORT, Dirck Dircksz. - b. ~1600 Amsterdam, d. 1680 Amsterdam

Dutch painter (also Zantvoort). He was a son of the painter Dirck Pietersz. Bontepaert and, on his mother’s side, a grandson of Pieter Pietersz. and a great-grandson of Pieter Aertsen. His elder brother was the landscape painter Pieter Dircksz. Santvoort (1603-35). Dirck probably received part of his training from his father, whose work no longer survives. The assertion that he also studied with Rembrandt has no factual basis, though he was undeniably influenced by the older artist.

From around 1630 onwards the rapidly growing prosperity of Amsterdam created a strong demand for portraits and a profitable practice for specialist portrait painters such as Nicolaes Eliasz. Pickenoy and Thomas de Keyser, and of course, Rembrandt. In around 1635 Santvoort started as an independent portrait painter in his typical sober style. At that time he also became the foremost Amsterdam painter of childrens’ portraits. Although he lived to be nearly seventy years old, Santvoort’s painting career, though prolific, only covers a period of about 10 years, from 1635 until 1645, when he seems to have given up painting altogether, since no later dated works by him are known.

Portrait of Elias van Cuelen

The sitter, Elias van Cuelen (Dordrecht c.1585-after 1652), was an important Dutch Reformed merchant, who was first married to Jannetje Kemps, daughter of Ambrosius Kemp and family of sergeant Artus Kemp, who died in 1612 in Amsterdam. The latter is portrayed to the right on Rembrandt’s Nightwatch of 1642. Van Cuelen is portrayed seated three-quarter length, wearing a black coat with white cuffs and collar and a hat, holding gloves in his left hand. Upper right the coat-of-arms of the family Van Collen (the later Van Cuelen) can be seen.