Christopher Bishop on Jan Lievens

The rediscovery of Jan Lievens’ 1653 portrait of Admiral Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp and his influence on the founding generations of America

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Christopher Bishop of Christopher Bishop Fine Art will speak about his rediscovery of Jan Lievens’ portrait of Admiral Tromp. Executed in 1652 this portrait was a touchstone for the Dutch cause during the first Anglo-Dutch War, 1652-54. Tromp became a national martyr, an exemplar of the virtue of the Dutch citizen and the toughness of Holland in the face of the British blockade. This single image became the rallying cry of a nation at the time the image of the ordinary citizen was being reshaped and elevated by Lievens and his one- time studiomate, Rembrandt. The values incarnated in the work became the foundation of modern Holland. Together with the influence of the Puritans’ sojourn in Delft and the presence of New Amsterdam in the New World, these same values deeply influenced the founders of a young America.