Reverend Johannes Elison (1634)

Rembrandt (1606-1669)

Reverend Johannes Elison
1634
Oil on canvas, 174 x 124.5 cm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

The Reverend Johannes Elison was the minister of the Dutch Reformed Church in Norwich, England; his wife, Maria Bockenolle, is represented in the companion painting (MFA accession number 56.511). The portraits were commissioned by their son, a wealthy Amsterdam merchant. Such life-size, full‑length portraits, a format typically associated with royal or noble patrons, were substantially more expensive than the more common bust or half‑length formats; Rembrandt painted only three full‑length pairs in his entire career. That the couple’s son could afford to commission these imposing paintings from Amsterdam’s leading portraitist says much about his social aspirations. (MFA)

Companion:

Maria Bockenolle, Wife of Johannes Elison (1634)

Rembrandt (1606-1669)
Maria Bockenolle
1634
Museum of Fine ArtsBoston

 

 

See also:

• Elison, Johannes