Press releases

A Merry Company Mauritshuis acquires rare Willem Buytewech painting

15 Nov 2018

Willem Buytewech Vrolijk gezelschap in de open lucht in Mauritshuis

The Mauritshuis in The Hague has acquired an extremely rare painting by Willem Buytewech with the support of the BankGiro Lottery. Only six paintings by the artist are known. With Merry Company on a Terrace from c. 1616-1617, the museum has secured a key work in the development of early Dutch genre painting.

A Merry Company Mauritshuis acquires rare Willem Buytewech painting

Emilie Gordenker, Mauritshuis Director: ‘Acquiring works for the museum is an unpredicatable process that can take years and often comes to nothing. I’m delighted to say that we have harvested a nice crop this year for the Mauritshuis: recently a portrait of Constantijn Huygens by Daniel Seghers and Jan Cossiers, and now an extremely rare genre piece by Willem Buytewech. We were able to acquire both paintings thanks to participants in the BankGiro Lottery’.

Aanwinst Willem Buytewech Vrolijk gezelschap in de open lucht in Depot van Mauritshuis
Willem Buytewech. Merry Company on a Terrace, c. 1616–1617. Canvas, 71 × 94 cm. Mauritshuis, The Hague (acquired with the support of the BankGiro Lottery, 2018).

Key work

Merry Company on a Terrace from c.1616-1617 is a key work in the development of early Dutch genre painting. The Mauritshuis already had landscapes, still lifes, history paintings and portraits from the early seventeenth century in its collection, but until now there had not been a representative genre piece (a painting that depicts a scene from everyday life). Buytewech portrayed the subject of young people eating, drinking and enjoying themselves with great virtuosity and humour. Several couples are shown gathered around a richly-laid table on an elegant terrace in a palatial setting. The only thing that is not entirely clear is who is with whom and who is flirting with whom? All the figures are dressed in the latest fashions – the women with low-cut necklines and the men in colourful outfits with tall hats. The small monkey on the left plays a key role: he is trying to lift one of the women’s skirts, but the man who might be her partner is thwarting the effort by playing footsie with her.

‘Geestige Willem’

Willem Buytewech was a prominent artist in early seventeenth-century Haarlem. He was known as ‘Geestige Willem’ (Witty Willem) in his own lifetime, a nickname that alludes both to his witty inventiveness and to the humour in his depictions. A large body of graphic work by him is known (125 drawings and 32 etchings), but only six of his paintings have survived. This new acquisition for the Mauritshuis can justifiably be called a highlight of this small painted oeuvre on account of its virtuosity. With the acquisition of this merry company, the Mauritshuis is now able to illustrate a development that emerged at the start of the Dutch Golden Age. Shortly after 1600, various new subjects appeared in Dutch painting: different kinds of scenes that were taken from everyday life. One of these new subjects were depictions of well-to-do young people ‘hanging out’ together.

Willem Buytewech Vrolijk Gezelschap In De Open Lucht MH1218 Mauritshuis
Willem Buytewech. Merry Company on a Terrace, c. 1616–1617. Canvas, 71 × 94 cm. Mauritshuis, The Hague (acquired with the support of the BankGiro Lottery, 2018).

Extension of BankGiro Lottery Partnership

The Mauritshuis is delighted to announce that the BankGiro Lottery has extended its annual contribution to the four major Dutch national art museums (the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Mauritshuis and Kröller-Müller Museum) for a further five years. Since 1998, these four museums have received a substantial annual sum of money for the acquisition of works of art thanks to participants in the BankGiro Lottery (the cultural lottery of the Netherlands). To date, a total sum of some €141.8 million has been raised. In the period 2019-2023, the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Mauritshuis and Kröller-Müller Museum can once again expect an annual contribution for acquisitions and making their collections accessible.

Daan Peters, BankGiro Lottery Managing Director: ‘We are proud to be able to extend our partnership with the Mauritshuis. Together with three other national museums (the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Kröller-Müller Museum), the museum manages a significant part of Dutch public art collections. Thanks to the contribution from the BankGiro Lottery, new works can be acquired for these collection and can be maintained. The museum is also permitted use the contribution to make its collection accessible to the wider public’.