IN 1705, the Amsterdam Theatre staged the first of many revivals of Thomas Asselijn’s satirical romantic comedy of mistaken identity, Jan Claasz, or the Supposed Servant Girl. Among the play’s admirers was actor-turned-painter Cornelis Troost. In the late 1730s, Troost repeatedly depicted scenes from Asselijn’s comedy. His favourite subjects included the ill-fated proposal made by the slow-witted swain Reinier Adriaansz to the play’s heroine, Saartje Jans.
In one version of this scene, painted in 1737, Troost depicts Reinier and Saartje full length. They meet at night, in a shadowy street of tall merchants’ houses, and their encounter is lit by the flickering candle carried by Saartje in a simple metal holder. Saartje wears a plain black dress. At her throat is a white fichu and an apron covers much of her…
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Country Life (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 12, 2025