Portrait of Aernout van Beeftingh, his Wife Jacoba Maria Boon and their Children

Nicolaes Muys

1797

oil on panel

Rijksmuseum

A family portrait depicts a woman holding a baby, surrounded by other children and an adult man seated at a table. The scene is set in an opulent interior with draped curtains and decorative wall panels. In this informal family portrait, a mother nurses her baby, a very advanced image for the time. The father studies a print in his collection, while the eldest son puts a portfolio with drawings or prints away in the collector’s cabinet. Van Beeftingh’s son Jozua plays with a whip and toy horse, while toddler Pieter, in his high chair, eats a biscuit. Should he fall, he will be protected by his padded head covering.