Portrait of Dorothée Colen
| Dating | 1898 |
|---|---|
| Material / technique | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 53 x 54 cm |
| Literature | A. Himmelreich, 'Een "salonschilder" uit Maastricht', in: Bonnefans 2 (1986), No 4, pages 37-39 |
| Exhibitions | |
| Provenance | 1970 acquisition by Bonnefantenmuseum via auction at De Zon, Amsterdam |
| Current residence | Collection Bonnefantenmuseum Maastricht |
| Signature | b.r. in paint: HENDRIK GOOVAERTS |
| Headings | |
| Remarks | According to a note on the back of the painting this is Marie Dorothée Jeannette Colen, born in 1866 as the daughter of Mr. M.G.A. Colen and Lady J.J.J.M. van der Does de Willebois. The Maastricht Colen family and the by marriage connected Von Geusau family played a major role in the life of Henri Goovaerts at the end of the nineteenth century. Not only were these families the commissioners of a number of portraits but it also seems that there were friendly ties between Goovaerts and some of the family members. In his article 'Een "salonschilder" uit Maastricht', Himmelreich points out that the background of the portrayed lady reminds of the painted settings used by portrait-photographers in the same era. It is not known whether Goovaerts had such props in his studio. In the portraits he painted in Switzerland between 1902 and 1905, a temporary intensification can be noted of the use of these landscapes as a background for the persons portrayed. The date of the portrait was determined by the Bonnefantenmuseum. |