Attributed To Herman Doncker (1595 – Circa 1650/51), Family Portrait With A Small Pony

Attributed to Herman Doncker
Dutch painter
Hoorn, 1595 – circa 1650/51, probably in Enkhuizen
A family portrait with a small pony
Oil on panel : 78,0 X 90,5 cm
Unsigned
Frame : 95,9 X 83,2 cm

The painting was varnished Friday 6^th of September;
Some white fluffs are sticking in the varnish; they will be taken away once the varnish is completely dry.

Herman Docker was born in Hoorn, in West-Friesland. Around the age of fourty he was active in Haarlem, in Holland, painting genre scenes. Some five years later he moved to Enkhuizen, which was also a West-Frisian port, like nearby Hoorn.
 
In Enkhuizen Doncker specialised in portraits, such as our painting. The stiffness of his figures and the rather old-fashioned, but expensive black clothing are typical of West-Frisian portraiture. Doncker painted it during the 1640s. He must have died here around 1650/51.

Early 17th century Dutch boy’s portraits with ponies are extremely rare and very sought-after. In 1609 Jan Claesz., who had also been active in Enkhuizen, painted a portrait of a five-year old boy with his pony ; it is being exhibited at the Enkhuizen Town Hall. Another boy’s portrait with a small horse, dating from 1618 and attributed to Jan Claesz. was sold at Sotheby’s Paris for 360.750 €.

All my paintings stand fully documented on my website:
https://www.jeanmoust.com/categories/portraits-genre-and-exterior-scenes/doncker-attributed-to-herman/a-family-portrait-with-a-small-pony-4814211