Johanna and the Jewish Merchants

Cornelis Troost (signed by artist), 1741

Troost depicted a scene from the popular farce The Spendthrift or the Wasteful Woman. The central character, Johanna, wastes her new expensive finery on two Polish-Jewish traders, portrayed in a stereotypical manner. In reality, they are Johanna’s father and husband, who have disguised themselves in order to expose her. Perched on the chair at the left, amidst a variety of Chinese valuables, is a ring-tailed lemur from Madagascar.

  • Artwork typepainting
  • Object numberSK-A-4209
  • Dimensionsheight 68.5 cm x width 86 cm
  • Physical characteristicsoil paint on panel

Identification

  • Title(s)

    • The Spendthrift or the Wasteful Woman, act III, scene V, from the Play by Thomas Asselijn (Joanna and the Polish Jewish Traders) (former title)
    • Johanna and the Jewish Merchants
  • Object type

  • Object number

    SK-A-4209

  • Description

    De 'Spilpenning', scène uit het derde bedrijf, vijfde toneel, uit het gelijknamige toneelstuk van Thomas Asselijn: Johanna's spilzicht wordt ontdekt door haar man Gerardus en haar vader Augustijn, die zich als Poolse joodse kooplieden verkleed hebben (Asselijn gebruikt in zijn tekst voor hen de denigrerende term 'smousen'). Johanna zit in een kamer met een plafondschildering aan een tafel die vol staat met allerlei curiosa, Chinese porselein, beeldjes en rollen textiel. Op de stoel links zit een ringstaartmaki, rechts is een kat onder de kast weggekropen.

  • Inscriptions / marks

    signature and date: ‘C. Troost 1741’


Creation

  • Creation

    painter: Cornelis Troost (signed by artist)

  • Dating

    1741

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Material and technique

  • Physical description

    oil paint on panel

  • Dimensions

    height 68.5 cm x width 86 cm


This work is about

  • Subject


Acquisition and rights

  • Credit line

    Gift of Mr and Mrs Leopold Siemens-Ruyter, Blaricum

  • Acquisition

    gift 1954

  • Copyright

  • Provenance

    …; on loan from Christiaan Pieter Hendrik Ras (1866-1934), Bussum, to the museum, 1909-13 (inv. no. SK-C-954); his son, Gozewin Hendrik Gerard Ras (1914-44), Mauthausen; his mother, Mrs. Siemens - Ruyter, Amsterdam; donated by Mr. and Mrs. Siemens-Ruyter, Amsterdam, to the museum, 1954, but kept in usufruct; transferred to the museum, 1971

  • Remarks

    Please note that this provenance was formulated with a special focus on provenance research for the years 1933-45 and could therefore be incomplete. There may be more (mostly earlier) provenance information known in the museum. In case this item has an uncertain or incomplete provenance for the years 1933-45, the Rijksmuseum welcomes information and assistance in the investigation and clarification of the provenance of all works during that era.


Documentation

  • Rosalien van der Poel, 'Boekbespreking : Zijden Draad - China en Nederland sinds 1600', Aziatische Kunst 46 (2016) nr. 1, p. 56, afb. 2.


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