De regenten van het Spinhuis en Nieuwe Werkhuis te Amsterdam, 1669

About this artwork

Bruikleen van de gemeente Amsterdam

Art Historical Context

This monumental group portrait by Karel du Jardin captures the regents of Amsterdam’s Spinhuis and Nieuwe Werkhuis in 1669. These civic leaders oversaw institutions that combined charity with labor: the Spinhuis served as a women’s house of correction centered on spinning and textile work, while the Nieuwe Werkhuis provided employment for the poor. Such large-scale regent portraits were proudly displayed in the buildings they governed, celebrating both personal status and the Dutch Republic’s tradition of collective civic responsibility. Painted in oil on an imposing canvas nearly four meters wide, the work reflects the Dutch Golden Age taste for realistic yet dignified group compositions. Du Jardin, better known for Italianate landscapes, here demonstrates his skill at arranging multiple figures with clarity and presence. The painting’s impressive dimensions and weight underscore its original role as a public statement of authority and benevolence. Today on loan to the Rijksmuseum from the City of Amsterdam, the canvas offers visitors a vivid glimpse into 17th-century social welfare and the pride Amsterdam’s elite took in their charitable duties.

About the Artist

Karel du Jardin · 1626–1678

Karel Dujardin, born in Amsterdam on September 27, 1626, was the son of the little-known painter Guilliam du Gardin. His early training came under the guidance of Nicolaes Berchem, a master whose influence is evident in Dujardin's animal and landscape depictions, while he was also inspired by the works of Paulus Potter. As a young artist, Dujardin traveled to Italy, where he immersed himself in th...