Portrait of Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen

workshop of Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen, alias Jacob War van Amsterdam (c. 1472/77–in or before 1533), Amsterdam, 1533?, oil on panel

Long accepted as the earliest known north Netherlandish self-portrait, this is probably a copy after a lost work. Such portraits illustrate the increasing status of artists. Jacob, whose traditional nickname means ‘son of Cornelis from Oostsanen’, looks directly at us. Behind him is a paper with the date 1533 and his monogram, I W (inverted) v A (‘J[acob] W[ar] v[an] A[msterdam]’).

Artwork typepainting
Object numberSK-A-1405
Dimensionsheight 37.8 cm x width 29.4 cm

Stories

Portrait of Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen

Portrait of Cornelis van Oostsanen

1:16 min. - Does his gaze put us on the wrong track?

Discover more

more by Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen

Saul and the Witch of Endor

Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen, 1526

Salome with the Head of John the Baptist

Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen, 1524

The Crucifixion

Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen, c. 1507 - c. 1510

The Adoration of the Magi

Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen, 1517

Triptych with the Last Supper and Donors

circle of Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen, c. 1525 - c. 1530

De heilige Michaël

Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen (mentioned on object), 1510

Identification

Former title
Self Portrait
Object type
Object number
SK-A-1405
Inscriptions / marks
signature and date, with monogram, centre left on a piece of paper: ‘I W (W ondersteboven) v A/ 1533’
Part of catalogue
Catalogue reference
S.A.C. Dudok van Heel, m.m.v. W.J. van den Berg, 'De schilders Jacob Cornelisz. alias Jacob War en Cornelis Buys uit Oostzaan : Hun werkplaatsen in Amsterdam en Alkmaar', De Nederlandsche Leeuw 128 (2011) jun., p. 50.

Creation

Creation
painter: workshop of Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen, Amsterdam
Dating
c. 1533
Search further with

Material and technique

Material
Dimensions
height 37.8 cm x width 29.4 cm

This work is about

Person
Subject

Acquisition and rights

Acquisition
purchase 1887
Copyright
Public domain
Provenance
…; from the dealer A. Myers, London, fl. 1,200, to the museum, June 1887;{NHA, ARM, Kop, inv. 289, pp. 134-35, no. 296 (13 April 1887); NHA, ARM, IS, inv. 167, no. 166 (2 May 1887, no. 768); NHA, ARM, Kop, inv. 289, p. 138, no. 304 (5 May 1887); NHA, ARM, IS, inv. 167, no. 173 (12 May 1887); NHA, ARM, IS, inv. 167, no. 179 (20 May 1887, no. 946); NHA, ARM, IS, inv. 167, no. 183 (28 May 1887, no. 2851); NHA, ARM, IS, inv. 167, no. 184 (31 May 1887); NHA, ARM, Kop, inv. 289, p. 144, no. 316 (8 June 1887); NHA, ARM, Kop, inv. 289, p. 146, no. 321 (23 June 1887); NHA, ARM, IS, inv. 167, no. 193 (25 June 1887).} on loan to the Amsterdams Historisch Museum, 2004-09

Documentation

- S.A.C. Dudok van Heel, m.m.v. W.J. van den Berg, 'De schilders Jacob Cornelisz. alias Jacob War en Cornelis Buys uit Oostzaan : Hun werkplaatsen in Amsterdam en Alkmaar', De Nederlandsche Leeuw 128 (2011) jun., p. 50.
- M. Leeflang en D. Meuwissen, 'Ondertekend' : Onderzoek naar de ondertekening van de schilderijen van Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen, Oostzaan, 2003, p. 62-63.