Adriaen van der Werff (21 January 1659 – 12 November 1722) was a Dutch painter of portraits and

erotic Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, scu ...

, devotional and mythological scenes. His brother,

Pieter van der Werff Pieter van der Werff (1665 – 26 September 1722) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He assisted his older brother, Adriaen van der Werff. Life He learned to paint from his brother Adriaen and according to the RKD, he spent most of his life w ...

(1661–1722), was his principal pupil and assistant.

Life

At the age of ten, he began to take lessons, two years later moving in with

Eglon van der Neer Eglon van der Neer (1635/363 May 1703) was a Dutch painter of historical scenes, portraits and elegant, fashionable people, and later of landscapes. Life Van der Neer was born in Amsterdam and was probably first taught by his father, Aert v ...

, specializing in clothes and draperie. At the age of seventeen, he founded his own studio in

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte (river), Rotte'') is the second largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the Prov ...

where he later became the head of guild of Saint Luc. In 1696, he was paid a visit by

Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine Johann Wilhelm II, Elector Palatine (''"Jan Wellem"'' in Low German, English: ''"John William"''; 19 April 1658 – 8 June 1716) of the Wittelsbach dynasty was Elector Palatine (1690–1716), Duke of Neuburg (1690–1716), Duke of Jülich ...

and his wife,

Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici (11 August 1667 – 18 February 1743) was an Italian noblewoman who was the last lineal descendant of the main branch of the House of Medici. A patron of the arts, she bequeathed the Medicis' large art collection, in ...

. The couple ordered two paintings to be sent to

Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de' Medici (14 August 1642 – 31 October 1723) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1670 until his death in 1723, the sixth and penultimate from the House of Medici. He reigned from 1670 to 1723, and was the elder son of Grand Duke Ferdin ...

, Anna Maria Luisa's father, in Florence. During the next years Van der Werff traveled regularly between

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in ...

and his home town. In 1703, he became the official court painter and a

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

, when his former teacher and predecessor Van der Neer died. Van der Werff was paid extremely well by the Elector for his biblical or classical (erotic) paintings. In December 1704, he painted Prince

John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1st Prince of Mindelheim, 1st Count of Nellenburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722 O.S.) was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reign ...

and in 1705, he painted a portrait of

Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Gian Gastone de' Medici (born Giovanni Battista Gastone; 24 May 1671 – 9 July 1737) was the seventh and last Medicean Grand Duke of Tuscany. He was the second son of Grand Duke Cosimo III and Marguerite Louise d'Orléans. His sister, Electr ...

. In 1716, he lost his job when the Elector died and was replaced by

Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine Charles III Philip (4 November 1661 – 31 December 1742) was Elector Palatine, Count of Palatinate-Neuburg, and Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1716 to 1742. Until 1728 he was also Count of Megen. Biography Born in Neuburg an der Donau, Charles P ...

. The treasury was then empty. Johann Wilhelm owned 34 paintings made by Van der Werff and were hung in a specially designated room next to

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally cons ...

's. He refused to have paintings sold to Prince

Anthony Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick Anthony Ulrich (German: ''Anton Ulrich''; 4 October 1633 – 27 March 1714), a member of the House of Welf, was Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and ruling Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel from 1685 until 1702 jointly with his elder brother Rud ...

and King

Augustus II the Strong Augustus II; german: August der Starke; lt, Augustas II; in Saxony also known as Frederick Augustus I – Friedrich August I (12 May 16701 February 1733), most commonly known as Augustus the Strong, was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as K ...

, as he wanted to keep the paintings to himself. The director of the collection was Jan Frans van Douven. Van der Werff became one of the most lauded Dutch painters of his day, gaining a European reputation and a fortune.

Arnold Houbraken Arnold Houbraken (28 March 1660 – 14 October 1719) was a Dutch painter and writer from Dordrecht, now remembered mainly as a biographer of Dutch Golden Age painters. Life Houbraken was sent first to learn ''threadtwisting'' (Twyndraat) ...

, writing in 1718, considered him the greatest of the Dutch painters and this was the prevailing critical opinion throughout the 18th century: however, his reputation suffered in the 19th century, when he was alleged to have betrayed the Dutch naturalistic tradition. In the

Victorian Age In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardian ...

, people could not appreciate his art, so most of his work went into the cellars of the

Alte Pinakothek The Alte Pinakothek (, ''Old Pinakothek'') is an art museum located in the Kunstareal area in Munich, Germany. It is one of the oldest galleries in the world and houses a significant collection of Old Master paintings. The name Alte (Old) Pi ...

. Van der Werff also practised as an architect in Rotterdam, where he designed a few houses. His only daughter married to Flemish painter Adriaen Brouwer. Famous buyers of his art would later be the King of Prussia

Frederick the Great Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...

, the King of France

Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...

, and Dutch banker

Adriaan van der Hoop Adriaan van der Hoop (28 April 1778, in Amsterdam – 17 March 1854, in Amsterdam) was a Dutch banker and in the first half of the 19th century one of the richest men in the Netherlands. He also was an influential politician: a member of th ...

. His works can be seen today at the national museum of the Netherlands,

Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the ...

, next to the

Van Gogh Museum The Van Gogh Museum () is a Dutch art museum dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries in the Museum Square in Amsterdam South, close to the Stedelijk Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw. The museum opene ...

, at the

Museum in Munich, Germany, at the

Uffizi Gallery The Uffizi Gallery (; it, Galleria degli Uffizi, italic=no, ) is a prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian muse ...

in Florence, Italy, and at the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Works

*''Hedwig Elisabeth'' (1673) *''Family Portrait'' (1680-1689) *''Children Playing Before a Hercules Group'' (1687) *''Shepherd and Shepherdess'' (1689) *''Flora with Putti Strewing Flowers'' (1696),

Schloss Wilhelmshöhe Schloss Wilhelmshöhe is a Neoclassical palace located in , a part of Kassel, Germany. It was built for Landgrave Wilhelm (William) IX of Hesse in the late 18th century. Emperor Wilhelm II made extensive use of it as a summer residence and p ...

, Kassel, Germany *''Diogenes'' (1699) *''Sarah Presenting Hagar to Abraham'' (1699) *''Maria Anna Luisa'' (1700) *''Portrait of Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatinate'' (1700) *''Portrait of John Churchill Marlborough'' (12 December 1701) *''Adam and Eve'' (c. 1711), dedicated to

Marie Joséphine of Savoy , title = Countess of Provence , image = Portrait de Marie-Joséphine-Louise de Savoie, comtesse de Provence (1786)1.jpg , caption = Portrait by Joseph Boze, 1786 , birth_date = , birth_place = Royal Palace of Turin, T ...

and

Louis XVIII Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. He spent twenty-three years in ...

*''Homage to the Arts'' (1713) *''Mary with the Christ-child and John the Baptist'' (1715), mahogany, 46 x 34 cm, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden *''The Holy Family and Infant Saint John the Baptist'' (1715) *''The Judgement of Paris'' (1716) *''The Annunciation'' (1718), transferred from oak to canvas, 71 x 52 cm, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden *''Mucius Scaevola'', pencil on paper. 29.4 × 20.6 cm. Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Braunschweig (Brunswick) *''Noli me tangere'' (1719) *''Nymphes dasant'' (1720), also painted by his brother *''Perkeo'', uncertainly painted this portrait, painted by Johann George Dathan *''Portrait of Simon Martin Haake'' *''Portrait of Mary II of England'', also painted with Étienne-Jehandier Desrochers *''Portrait of Friedrich von Schomberg'' *''Portrait of William II of England'', also painted with Étienne-Jehandier Desrochers *''The Visitation'', ink, washed on paper, 29.4 x 20.6 cm. Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Braunschweig (Brunswick)

Gallery

File:John Churchill Marlborough porträtterad av Adriaen van der Werff (1659-1722).jpg, ''Portrait of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (1650–1722)'' (1704,

Uffizi The Uffizi Gallery (; it, Galleria degli Uffizi, italic=no, ) is a prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums ...

) File:Avd Werff.jpg, ''The Entombment'' (1703,

National Museum, Wrocław The National Museum in Wrocław ( pl, Muzeum Narodowe we Wrocławiu), established 28 March 1947 and officially inaugurated on 11 July 1948, is one of Poland's main branches of the National Museum system. It holds one of the largest collections of ...

) File:Adriaen van der Werff noli me tangere.jpg, ''Noli me tangere'' (1719) File:Adriaen and Pieter van der Werff - Nymphes dansant.jpg, ''Nymphes dansant'' (1720), also painted by his brother,

Musée du Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

File:Adriaen van der Werff - Adam en Eva.jpg, ''Adam and Eve'' (c. 1711,

) File:Adriaen van der Werff 002.jpg, ''Paris and Oenone'' (1694,

) File:Shepherd and Shepherdess 1689 Adriaen van der Werff.jpg, ''Shepherd and Shepherdess (1689) File:Adriaen van der Werff 007.jpg, ''Sara brengt Hagar tot Abraham (Genesis 16:3) Sarah Bringing Hagar to Abraham, 1696'' File:Van der Werff, Adriaen - The Judgement of Paris - Google Art Project.jpg, ''The Judgement of Paris'' (1716,

Dulwich Picture Gallery Dulwich Picture Gallery is an art gallery in Dulwich, South London, which opened to the public in 1817. It was designed by Regency architect Sir John Soane using an innovative and influential method of illumination. Dulwich is the oldest pub ...

) File:Adriaen van der Werff 012.jpg, ''Een dansende nymf op het fluitspel van een herder (A nymph dancing before a shepherd playing a flute)'' File:Adriaen van der Werff 021.jpg, ''Diogenes mit der Laterne auf dem Markte'' (1699,

Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (, ''Dresden State Art Collections'') is a cultural institution in Dresden, Germany, owned by the State of Saxony. It is one of the most renowned and oldest museum institutions in the world, originating from the ...

)

External links

Adriaen van der Werff
at PubHist
''The Rest on the Flight into Egypt'', 1706
{{DEFAULTSORT:Werff, Adriaen Van Der 1659 births 1722 deaths 18th-century Dutch people Dutch Golden Age painters Dutch male painters Painters from Rotterdam