Jan Asselijn

Jan Asselijn was an artist active across the mid-seventeenth century, with documented work dating from 1610 through 1660. His surviving output, particularly drawings and paintings represented in major international institutions, focuses heavily on architectural subjects, ruins, and figural landscape studies.

Museum collections account for 10 drawings and five paintings by the artist, establishing the museum-quality status of his oeuvre. Asselijn often depicted significant European structures and settings. Notable documented works include the ruin study The Ruins of the Colosseum, the detailed landscape Overgrown Courtyard of Ruined Castle, and the topographical piece View of the Ponte Rotto, Rome, with Watermills. His practice also included scenes of daily life, exemplified by Figures in an Outdoor Tavern.

Today, Jan Asselijn paintings and drawings are preserved in key American institutions. Works by the artist are held in the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of their age, much of this historical material is now in the public domain, allowing for the availability of high-quality prints and downloadable artwork for educational and research purposes.