Portrait of Marten Soolmans

Original: oil on canvas 132 x 207.5 cm bxh
Date: 1634

The paintings are marriage portraits of Marten and Oopjen, who married on 28 June 1633. The marriage seems to have been based on love, given the difference in descent between the families. The paintings were purchased for Fl. 500. The painting shows Marten as a 20-year-old young man; he appears to be moving towards Oopjen. Marten is holding out the glove, a symbol of marriage. Marten Soolmans wears a silk suit with a lace collar, beautiful garters and very large lace rosettes on his shoes. Marten and Oopjen have three children together: Hendrick (1634), Jan (1636) and Cornelia (1637). Marten died at a young age in 1641.

Marten was born in 1613. His father Jan Soolmans, a merchant in sugar, had fled to Holland during the Siege of Antwerp.

Special about the portraits

They are the largest portraits that Rembrandt painted. Life-size portraits were normally reserved for the European nobility. The paintings show luxury, not only in the clothing but also in the marble floor, which was exceptional for that time. The man was always portrayed on the left because of the light, which therefore only shows part of the face. The woman, on the other hand, had all the light in her face and was depicted on the right. There is a clear play of lines that Rembrandt made use of. He also accentuated the light and dark with more contrast than in reality. Rembrandt painted everything himself. In other paintings, Rembrandt sometimes had his pupils paint the background or the clothing.

The portrait of Oopjen can be found here.

Read more about the life and work of Rembrandt van Rijn on his painting page.

The painting belongs to the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Louvre in Paris.

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