Jacob van Campen: Portrait of Constantijn Huygens and Suzanna van Baerle (1635)

(Mauritshuis, The Hague, The Netherlands)

A painting by the Dutch artist and architect Jacob van Campen (1596-1657). The painting shows the Dutch poet, composer, diplomat and architect Constantijn Huygens (1596-1687) and his wife Suzanna van Baerle (1599-1637). The couple married in 1627 and got 5 children, including the famous Dutch mathematician and scientist Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695). Suzanna died shortly after the birth of het fifth child, probably from complications related to the birth. The portrait is very unusual - in the 17th century portraits of couples usually consisted of two separate paintings. The piece of paper the couple is holding is a sheet of music, a sign of the harmony on their marriage. Painting from 1635.