Cornelis Troosts’ oeuvre is as extensive as it is varied. With intimate family portraits and depictions of humorous scenes from plays, he developed into one of the most important 18th-century Dutch painters.


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Domestic family portraits
At the beginning of the 18th century, a special type of group portrait known as a conversation piece became fashionable throughout Europe. In these informal scenes we see the sitters interacting in a domestic setting. Troost made a major contribution to this development in the Netherlands.
Family Group near a Harpsichord Cornelis Troost (1696-1750), oil on canvas, 1739
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Group portraits
Portraits of administrative bodies are a typical Dutch tradition. Troost established his reputation with a large group portrait of the inspectors of the Collegium Medicum of Amsterdam. He also painted an anatomy lesson modelled on a famous one by Rembrandt.
Portrait of the Inspectors of the Collegium Medicum, Cornelis Troost, 1724


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Original techniques
Troost was an extremely adept pastellist. Thanks to the delicate touch of the pastel crayon, his portraits make a lively, authentic impression. By combining this medium with extensive gouache, Troost made a highly original contribution to European art.
Portrait of Joan Jacob Mauricius, Governor-General of Suriname Cornelis Troost (1696-1750), pastel and gouache on paper, 1741


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Snapshot
To enliven his portraits, Troost used a snapshot-like effect. He had his sitters look slightly to the side, as if interrupted in their activities. A detail such as traces of powder from a wig spilled on a shoulder also indicated that the person being portrayed was not expecting visitors.
Portrait of a Member of the Van der Mersch Family Cornelis Troost (1696-1750), oil on panel, 1736


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On the stage
Troost painted and drew many scenes from plays. He knew many of the farces and comedies from his time as an actor. Troost had a great fondness for theatre and in his younger years he even performed on stage himself, together with his wife Susanna Maria van der Duyn.
he Feigned Sadness. From David Lingelbach's comedy De Ontdekte Schijndeugd (Pretended Virtue Exposed), Cornelis Troost, 1743


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Theatrical staging
Troost mainly depicted scenes from comedies and farces. They do not take place on stage, but rather in a domestic setting or on the street. The theatricality lies in the caricatural portrayal of the main characters, the props and the sometimes shallow picture plane.
Joanna and the Jewish Traders, Cornelis Troost, 1741
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A famous night out
The NELRI series is one of Troost’s most famous works. The five pastels form a humorous visual story about a cosy evening of a group of distinguished gentlemen. The series derives its name from the first letters of the five Latin titles.
Ibant qui poterant, qui non potuere cadebant (Those who could walk did; those who could not, fell), Cornelis Troost, 1739, The Hague, Mauritshuis


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Military scenes
In the 1740s Troost concentrated on military subjects. He developed an entirely new format for his guardroom scenes. Instead of messy and dimly lit, as in 17th-century paintings, Troost’s guardrooms are orderly and brightly lit.
Guardroom with Reading, Smoking and Card Playing Officers, Cornelis Troost, 1748


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Stage sets and decorative ensembles
Troost was proficient in both small and large dimensions. He decorated Amsterdam canal houses with ceiling and wall paintings. For this he had gained the requisite experience at the Amsterdam Theatre, where he was not only an actor but also a set painter.
The Phoenix


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Sara Troost
Troost gave drawing lessons to his daughters Elisabeth and Sara. Sara was the most talented. She practised by copying her father’s work and then turned to making pastel portraits. This allowed her to support her family after her father’s untimely death.
There Was a Commotion in the House Sara Troost (1732–1803) after Cornelis Troost (1696–1750), brush and opaque watercolour, 1768–1771