Willem Bartel van der Kooi

Willem Bartel van der Kooi was active between 1791 and 1813, a period defined by his focus on both formal portraiture and intimate genre scenes.

Five significant Willem Bartel van der Kooi paintings are currently represented in museum collections, confirming his importance as a chronicler of his era. These works, held by the Rijksmuseum, demonstrate a precise attention to detail in their composition and rendering of sitters.

Key examples of his output include the complex double portrait Self Portrait, Pointing at a Portrait of the Artist's deceased Colleague Dirk Jacobsz Ploegsma (1769-91), which combines self-reflection with homage. His skill in rendering professional identity is further showcased in Jan (Baptist) Kobell II (1778-1814), Painter, in the Uniform of a Member of the Royal Institute of Science, Literature and the Fine Arts, and the formal portrait Sebastiaan Leerse, Merchant of Antwerp. In addition to these formal commissions, Van der Kooi produced domestic scenes, such as the anecdotal work The Love Letter and the instructional depiction Piano Practice Interrupted. Due to their institutional preservation, these historical works are often available as high-quality prints or downloadable artwork for study and appreciation.