Jan Adam Kruseman

The life of Jan Adam Kruseman

Jan Adam Kruseman was born in Haarlem on 12 February 1804, the son of Jan Alexander and Dorothea Steenkamp. In 1819, Jan Adam left for Amsterdam to join the drawing academy and was taught by his cousin Cornelis Kruseman. From 1822 to 1824, Jan Adam stayed in Brussels and Paris, where he was apprenticed to Francois-Joseph Navez and Jacques Louis David, both neo-classical painters.

Jan Adam Kruseman paints historical and religious subjects, but most of his portraits are of nobility and wealthy citizens. Jan Adam also painted many portraits of the royal family. His portraits show not only a self-effacing and satisfied person, but also a detailed picture of the clothing and jewellery.

When Jan Adam Kruseman returns to Amsterdam, he marries Alida de Vries on 11 May 1826. Together they have seven children, including Jan Theodoor, who later also becomes a painter. In 1836 the family was expanded with Alida's nephew, Petrus Augustus de Genestet. Later a famous Dutch poet and theologian. On 19 November 1830, Jan Adam becomes the director of the Royal Academy of Art in Amsterdam. One of his many pupils is Jozef Israëls. In 1839 Jan Adam Kruseman is one of the co-founders of the artists' association Arti et Amicitae. In 1844 Jan is knighted in the Order of the Dutch Lion.

After moving to Rijsenburg in 1851 and to Driebergen in 1854, Jan Adam returned to Haarlem in 1856, where he died on 17 March 1862.

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