The Sampling Officials of the Amsterdam Drapers’ Guild, Known as ‘The Syndics’

Rembrandt van Rijn, 1662

After suffering financial difficulties in the 1650s, Rembrandt moved to a rental house on the Rozengracht. The Amsterdam élite no longer knocked on his door as often as they had done before. He nevertheless remained popular: this important guild commissioned him to paint a group portrait. Rembrandt produced a lively scene by having the wardens look up from their work as if interrupted by our arrival.

  • Artwork typepainting
  • Object numberSK-C-6
  • Dimensionsheight 191.5 cm x width 279 cm
  • Physical characteristicsoil on canvas

Stories

The Sampling Officials of the Amsterdam Drapers’ Guild, Known as ‘The Syndics’.

1:02 min. - How did Rembrandt create the dynamics in this group portrait?

The Sampling Officials of the Amsterdam Drapers’ Guild, Known as ‘The Syndics’

Snapshot

A meeting of fabric sampling officials

The Sampling Officials of the Amsterdam Drapers’ Guild, Known as ‘The Syndics’

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Identification

  • Title(s)

    • The syndics: the sampling officials (wardens) of the Amsterdam drapers (former title)
    • The Sampling Officials of the Amsterdam Drapers’ Guild, Known as ‘The Syndics’
    • The Sampling Officials of the Amsterdam Drapers’ Guild, known as ‘The Syndics’

  • Object type

  • Object number

    SK-C-6

  • Description

    De Staalmeesters: het college van staalmeesters (waardijns) van het Amsterdamse lakenbereidersgilde, bijeen rond een tafel waarop een Perzisch kleed ligt, op tafel het opengeslagen stalenboek. Voorgesteld zijn (van links naar rechts): Jacob van Loon (1595-1674), Volckert Jansz (1605/10-81), Willem van Doeyenburg (ca. 1616-87), de knecht Frans Hendricksz Bel (1629-1701), Aernout van der Mye (ca. 1625-81) en Jochem de Neve (1629-81). Rechts boven de haard een schilderij met een brandend baken.

  • Inscriptions / marks

    • signature and date (): ‘Rembrandt f. 1662’
    • signature and date (false): ‘Rembrandt. f. 1661.’

Creation

  • Creation

    painter: Rembrandt van Rijn

  • Dating

    1662

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Material and technique

  • Physical description

    oil on canvas

  • Dimensions

    height 191.5 cm x width 279 cm

This work is about

  • Person

  • Subject

  • Place

Acquisition and rights

  • Credit line

    On loan from the City of Amsterdam

  • Copyright

    Public domain

  • Provenance

    Commissioned by the sitters for the hall of the Drapers’ Guild (Staalhof), Staalstraat, Amsterdam; transferred to the 'Konstkamer' in the Town Hall, Amsterdam, 27 November 1771;{According to a label formerly on the reverse; see Van Eeghen 1957, p. 66.} on loan from the City of Amsterdam to the museum since 15 August 1808

Documentation

    • The Rembrandt Database, Object information, Rembrandt, The sampling officials of the Amsterdam drapers guild, dated 1662, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, inv. no. SK-C-6, http://www.rembrandtdatabase.org/Rembrandt/painting/3046/the-sampling-officials-of-the-amsterdam-drapers-guild, accessed 2016 February 01
    • Marleen Dominicus-Van Soest, 'Rembrandt in nieuw licht', Rijksmuseum Kunstkrant 19 (1993) nr. 3.
    • Inzoomer object op zaal, 2013 (Nederlands/English).
    • N. Middelkoop, 'Kruisbestuiving : Schutters- en regentenstukken in Haarlem en Amsterdam', Kunstschrift (2014) nr. 4, p. 34, afb. 34-35.
    • B. Alsdorf, La fraternité des individus: les portraits de groupe de Degas, in: La revue de Musée d'Orsay nr. 30 (automne 2010) 48, 14, p. 25, fig. 9
    • R. Bergmans, Rembrandts kijk op De Staalmeesters, 2009-07- http://mathart.come2me.nl/1014134/REMBRANDT-Staalmeesters [artikel over het perspectief]
    • Tim Zeedijk, ‘Why Carpets are Beautiful’, in Kneeling, 5 years of Making Carpets, Eindhoven (MU Artspace) 2014, afb. p. 10.
    • I.H. van Eeghen, "De Staalmeesters", Jaarboek Amstelodamum 1956, p. 65 - 80
    • J.G. van Gelder, 'De Staalmeesters', Openbaar Kunstbezit (1964), p. 11a/b.

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