Jan Daemen Cool

Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 24 November 1961, lot 60 (as by Thomas de Keyser, depicting Jan van Goyen and his family).

 

The actual painting is a bit warmer in tone than the catalogue illustration suggests. The panel is cradled and seems to consist of 5 horizontal planks. The panel may have been cut. A horizontal crack of circa 10 cm is running from the centre right edge. No other damages are visible to the naked eye and the paint surface is in stable condition. The varnish layer is transparent. Retouchings are visible in the faces of the sitters, in the red table cloth and in the drapery on the top of the fireplace. Inspection under UV-light confirms the aforesaid and reveals extensive retouchings throughout, e.g. in the background, in the faces and costumes of the sitters, the dog and in the furniture and painting hanging on the wall. Offered in a gilt wood frame, in good condition. (JD)
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Jan Daemen Cool was born in Rotterdam around 1589 and may have trained in the workshop of Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt (1567-1641) in Delft. In 1614 Cool registered in the painter's Guild in that city, although he probably returned to Rotterdam in the same year. The rest of his life he spent in his native town, working as a portraitist for the city's elite and governing institutions.

Between 1631 and 1637 Cool produced a group of four family portraits of which the present work is a latest addition. These group portraits were formerly considered  to be by Jacob Gerritsz Cuyp (1594-1652), but have recently been convincingly attributed to Jan Daemen Cool by Ekkart.¹ A relationship in style between these two masters is evident, but Cool's work is characterised by a tighter and more matter-of-fact style which is in line with the portrait production in Delft and The Hague by artists such as Michiel van Mierevelt and Jan Anthonisz van Ravesteyn. Characteristic for Cool is the attention to hands and gestures, which give his portraits a livelier feel than those of Cuyp. This is Cool's only known group portrait set in an interior, for his other group portaits are all situated in  landscape settings.

Another characteristic of Cool is that he never signed his work, but nearly all his works are marked with date inscriptions. Consistent here with other works is the way in which this portrait is dated. Typical for Cool is the A^o of which the right leg of the A ends with an elegant cross-line.

Traditionally the family was identified as "Jan van Goyen and his family", probably because of the prominent position of the tonal marine painting. However, given the fact that Cool's clientele almost entirely consisted of Rotterdam patrons, this family must have been based in Rotterdam or surroundings as well. Therefore it is unlikely that Van Goyen, who first lived in Leiden and by 1633 in The Hague ever sat for Jan Daemen Cool.

We are grateful to Fred G. Meijer for suggesting the attribution to Jan Daemen Cool and to Prof. Dr. R.E.O. Ekkart for confirming this attribution on the basis of first hand inspection.

1. See R.E.O. Ekkart, 'De Rotterdamse portrettist Jan Daemen Cool (ca. 1589-1660)', in Oud Holland,  111, 1997, no. 4, pp. 201-40.