Author: KINSBERGEN, J.H.- Signature.- Portrait.- Lacquer Seal.-
Title: Small engr. portrait, facing left, 'te halver lijve', within an engraved picture frame, wearing his decorations [to the left his 'Grootkruis Militaire Willemsorde 1815? to the right the 'Doggersbank' penning 1781], unsigned. Below it within a woodcut border the original autograph signature in ink accompanied by van Kinsbergen's lacquer seal, showing an heraldic shield, crowned, on both sides ..... by ???, below the shield a band from which a medallion hangs...
Description: Date of signature difficult to guess, but in view of the slight ... in the ink possibly 1800- 1815. Both the portrait and the rectangular paper label (of which the lower left decorated woodc. border partially cut off), mounted on a sheet of good quality Pro Patria watermarked paper, meas. appr. 18.5 x 23 cm. The small portrait meas. appr. 7 x 8.5 cm, unsigned, but probably Muller 2910 k. not in van Someren. The woodcut decorated label w. the original signature meas. appr. 10 x 4.5 cm. Luitenant Admiraal van Kinsbergen [1735 - 1819] Van Kinsbergen was an extremely succesfull naval officer serving both in the Russian [1771 - 1775] as well as the Dutch naval forces [1775 - 1795]. He became famous for his part in the battle at the Doggersbank in 1781, after a stellar career, only hindered by the patriots / orangists debate and 'omwenteling', he was honoured in 1806 as the last great naval hero, and offered titles of 'maarschalk, admiraal'and 'Graaf van de Doggersbank'. Also 'Jonkheer'. He was involved in the modernization of the navy, authoring many publications on naval and sea warfare subjects. Apart from this he was an extremely wealthy man who chose to share his wealth in order to strenghthen the image of the Navy, the education of young people and the advancement of art and culture in general. Upon his death he left appr. 1.400.000 guilders. The Van Kinsbergenfonds was founded and exists to this day: See: Van Hall, M.C., Het leven en karakter van den admiraal Jhr. Jan Hendrik van Kinsbergen [Amst., 1841]: R. Prud'homme van Reine. Jan Hendrik van Kinsbergen 1735 - 1819, admiraal en filantroop. [Amst., Bataafsche Leeuw, 1990]: Archief van Kinsbergen & het van Kinsbergenfonds, Nationaal Archief, inv. nr. 2.19.190, size appr. 9 meters, 654 items. see the introductory notes on the archive, pp. 7 - 12.

Keywords: history marine portraits Marriott2019 ordnerBrk