Portrait of Margaretha van de Eeckhout (1639-1701)

About this artwork

Portret van Margaretha van de Eeckhout, echtgenote van Pieter van de Poel. Ten halven lijve met een korte grijze pruik met een lange staart. Pendant van SK-C-1602.

Art Historical Context

This posthumous portrait by Dutch artist Arnold Boonen captures Margaretha van de Eeckhout four years after her death in 1701. Painted in oil on canvas in 1705, the half-length image shows her wearing a distinctive short gray wig with a long tail, a fashionable detail that reflects early eighteenth-century Dutch elite attire. As the wife of Pieter van de Poel, Margaretha is depicted in a format designed to complement her husband’s companion portrait, allowing the couple to be displayed side by side. Boonen’s restrained yet elegant approach emphasizes dignity and remembrance rather than strict realism. The work’s modest scale—roughly 82 by 65 centimeters—makes it well suited for intimate domestic settings, a common choice for pendant portraits of the period. Today in the Rijksmuseum collection, the painting offers visitors a glimpse into how Dutch families preserved memory and status through art even after a loved one’s passing.