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Jan van Bijlert (1597-1671)
Inmates of St. Job's Hospital, Utrecht, soliciting donations. Signed J v Bijlert fecit. Canvas, 76.3 × 115.3 cm.

Utrecht, Centraal Museum, cat.nr. 57. Purchased in 1934 from Mrs. J. Vuyk, after the painting turned up in the American art trade in 1931.

The hospital of St. Job in Utrecht, as Marten Jan Bok has shown, was unique in its various connections with the world of art. The painter of this group portrait, Jan van Bijlert, joined the hospital board in 1634, but even before that the board room was decorated with a choice selection of work by painters from Utrecht and the surroundings. (Including Paulus Bor; see nr.21).

As Bok has pointed out, this painting is the only known Dutch group portrait to depict poor people as the main figures. The exception reminds us with force of the truth that painted portraits are expensive luxuries which can only be afforded by people with money to spare.

Bok 1984