Dijck [Dyck], Abraham van
(b
Amsterdam, 1635–6; bur; Amsterdam, 26 Feb 1672).
Dutch painter and draughtsman. He is thought to have been a
pupil of Rembrandt in Amsterdam c. 1650. There is no documentary
evidence for this, but his earliest dated painting, the Presentation in
the Temple (1655; ex-priv. col. Sidney van den Bergh, Wassenaar, see
Sumowski, 1983, no. 357), shows that he had certainly seen examples of
Rembrandt’s work. He was an eclectic artist, given to following several
models simultaneously. This is evident from two versions of Elijah and
the Widow of Zarephath; one (1655–60; Copenhagen, Stat. Mus. Kst) is
painted in horizontal format in the style of Barent Fabritius, while the
other (1655–60; Milwaukee, WI, A. Bader priv. col., see Sumowski, 1983, no.
362) features large half-length figures in the manner of Nicolaes Maes. In
another biblical scene, Benjamin and Judah (1655–60; Chicago, IL, A.
Inst.), he followed the example of Rembrandt. His best works, such as
Saying Grace (1655–60; Hannover, Niedersächs. Landesmus.) and the Old
Prophetess (1655–60; Leipzig, Mus. Bild. Kst), show old women either
praying or sleeping and confirm that Maes was his main source of
inspiration. Similar subjects are represented in the drawings attributed to
him (e.g. Old Woman Seated, Holding a Book; New York, Pierpont Morgan
Lib.). In the late 1650s van Dijck also seems to have been influenced by the
genre paintings of Gabriël Metsu and above all by Quiringh van Brekelenkam,
as in Hermit Praying in a Cave (late 1650s; St Petersburg, Hermitage)
and Family Saying Grace (late 1650s; Stockholm, Nmus.).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
W. Sumowski: Drawings of the Rembrandt School (New
York, 1980), iii, pp. 1247–1309
——: Gemälde der Rembrandt-Schüler (Landau/Pfalz,
1983), i, pp. 666–711; review by J. Bruyn in Oud-Holland, xcviii
(1984), pp. 146–62
April 10,
2007 Dr. David
de Witt:
Dear Bob
Demchuk: I have had a chance to study the large ektachrome transparency, of
An Old Woman Weighing Coins, which you sent to me in March 2004. The
painting is oil on oak panel, and measures 87.2 x 77.3 cm. It bears a false
Rembrandt signature and date of 1647 in the upper left corner. I'm quite certain
that this painting is by the Amsterdam painter Abraham van Dijck, who is
commonly thought to have studied with Rembrandt around 1650. This painting
accords well with Van Dijck's paintings of the later 1650's, many of which
depict old men and woman, often with a moralizing message, as here. It
is very close to the the painting of an Old Woman and Man Eating Supper, last in the
collection of Emile Wolf in New York, which Werner Sumowski gave to Van
Dijck (no. 384), which is in turn very close to a signed work by the artist
of a similar theme, dated 1657, last with Sam Nystad in The Hague (Sumowski
no. 383). Especially the varied handling of textures of flesh, fur and
fabric, and metal, relate to Van Dijck's approach, as does the subject
matter of old, poor people, which reappears frequently in his work.