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Johannes Janson (1729-1784)
Paulus van Spijk and his wife Anna Louise van der Meulen. Panel, 76.5 × 56 cm.

Leiden, Stedelijk Museum De Lakenhal, inv.nr. 3265. Acquired in 1983 from the collection of Miss A.M.W. Weydung, Leiden.

Paulus van Spijk (1727-1779) was a Leiden brewer and dilletante, a member of the local society Art is Acquired through Labour (see under nr. 80). The art historian A. Staring was able to identify him and his wife as the sitters of this portrait through the work on the easel, which corresponds to a catalogue entry in the auction of van Spijk's art collection in 1781: 'A dune landscape,... with an ox grazing on a hillock, in addition to several sheep and a seated man; in the foreground is a red ox and drinking billygoat. Very warm in tone...'

It stands to reason that the painter of the landscape, Johannes Janson, was also the author of the double portrait, which is unsigned. In fact, the van Spijks were patrons of Janson, owning at least 24 paintings by him. Twentythree were in the auction, but this painting – Janson's only known portrait – was apparently kept in the family. The owner from which it was acquired in 1983, Miss Weydung, is the descendant of a sister of the childless van Spijk.

Staring 1953. Pelinck 1953