Jans Jansz de Stomme

JAN JANSZ DE STOMME (1615- 1658),
"Portrait of a lady", 1642.
Oil on panel. Cradled.
Signed and dated.
Measurements: 105 x 74, 5 cm.
The female portrait that we observe, attributed to Jan Jans de Stomme, represents a figure of half a body slightly turned to the left, with the face looking directly at the viewer. The young woman is dressed in a sober but rich black garment, typically Dutch of the 17th century, adorned with elaborate white lace on the collar and sleeves, details that evidence both her social status and the artist's technical precision. Her delicately illuminated face stands out against the dark background that enhances her presence and contributes to an intimate and reflective atmosphere.
Distinctive elements such as the golden bracelets, the rings, the fan in her right hand and the meticulous work in the rendering of the lace reveal Jan Jans' sensitivity to textile details and materiality, characteristics shared with the portraitists of his time, especially within the context of bourgeois portraiture in the northern Netherlands. The dignified pose and economy of gesture reinforce the solemnity of the portrait, while allowing for a subtle psychological capture of the model's character.
Jan Jans de Stomme, born Jan Voogelesang, was a Dutch portrait painter, particularly active in the northern Netherlands during the 17th century. Despite the scarce documentary sources, it is known that he was deaf and mute, which did not prevent the development of a solid artistic career.
No conclusive information is preserved about his training, although due to the technical quality of his works and his stylistic affinities it is presumed that he was influenced by Wybrand de Geest, renowned portraitist of Leeuwarden, as well as by Harmen Wieringa, active between 1632 and 1650.
Around 1643, Jan Jans settled in the city of Groningen, where he received numerous commissions, particularly from the local aristocracy and gentry, the so-called Pommerants. His artistic production is concentrated mainly in the portrait genre, standing out for the representation of children and female figures with remarkable expressiveness, attention to detail and chromatic sobriety, within the aesthetic framework of the Dutch Baroque portrait.