Single portrait of Willem Willemsz

General information
Original location Utrecht, possibly the Jerusalem chapel (the sitter was a member of the Utrecht Confraternity of Jerusalem pilgrims, the portrait shows a high similarity with other confraternity portraits, see remarks)
Current location Unknown
Provenance Known to be in possession of art dealer Nicolaas Beets, Amsterdam, at an unknown moment
Artist Jan van Scorel (attributed by Friedländer), more likely Antonie Mor (see remarks)
Date Second half of the sixteenth century (see remarks)
Material Oil on panel
Visual elements
Short description Portrait of a bearded man, portrayed half-length, turned to the viewer's right, facing the viewer. He carries a palm.
Depicted pilgrim
Personal information
Name Willem Willemsz
Social status / profession Chairman of the Confraternity in 1556 (based on archival documents, see Van Tongerloo, appendix 3, no. 17)
Coat of arms Bottom, on text panel: early renaissance shield - three Tau-crosses, 2-1 (drie tau-kruizen, 2-1)
Text Ick Willem Willemsz, duer Gods ingeven, // stelden my op de [re]ise na theilich landt // doen vyft[ien hond]ert ienenvyftich werd gescreven, // God [...]ij hier duer sag[...]gepr[...]ijen [be]wairing [voer] scandt.
Pilgrimages
Year of pilgrimage to Jerusalem 1551 (mentioned in text)
Attributes Jerusalem pilgrimage Palm, necklace with golden Jerusalem cross, Jerusalem cross on the text panel
Additional information
General remarks The RKD categorizes this image, probably based on notes by Friedländer, as made by Jan van Scorel, first half of the sixteenth century. However, it shows a very high similarity with the later portraits of the Utrecht confraternity of Jerusalem pilgrims, especially the one with Cornelis van Hoorn and Anthonis Taets van Amerongen. It shares with them that they show a larger section of the body, and the text panels are executed almost the same, painted as a text in a simple wooden frame, with a coat of arms on top and a Jerusalem cross in the text field. The similarity with the single portrait of Jan Hendriksz Spijker / de Veer is even more striking, in that it shows almost the same dress and hat. Together with Spijker, it may have formed part of a series of single portraits of members of the Utrecht confraternity of Jerusalem pilgrims, maybe together with the portrait of Hendrik van Leeuwen or an original version of that, which shows a similar text panel. Except the portrait of Hendrik van Leeuwen, the mentioned paintings are linked to Antonie Mor, and they date from 1544, after 1564, and after 1560 respectively. The above date and ascription are therefore based on this similarity.
Literature
  • Tongerloo, Louise van, 'Grablegung und Totengedenken bei Pilgerbruderschaften in Utrecht, mit einer Neuinterpretation von Scorels und Mors Bildnisreihen von Jerusalemfahrern,' in: Truus van Bueren en Andrea van Leerdam (eds.), Care for the here and the hereafter: memoria, art and ritual in the Middle Ages (Turnhout 2005), pp. 221-247
Description of the RKD
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