Dirck Pesser
Dirck Jansz Pesser | |
|---|---|
| Born | circa 1585 Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| Died | September 3, 1651 (aged 66) |
| Occupation | Brewer |
| Known for | Subject of a portrait by Rembrandt; prominent brewer in Rotterdam |
Dirck Jansz Pesser (circa 1585 – interred September 3, 1651) was a prominent brewer based in Rotterdam, recognized for his entrepreneurial activities in brewing as well as for being the subject of a portrait by Rembrandt. He played an influential role within Rotterdam's early 17th-century Remonstrant community.
He was the son of Jan Dammasz Pesser, who founded the "De Witte Leeuw" (The White Lion) brewery located at Leuvehaven. On December 18, 1612, Dirck married Haesje Jacobs van Cleyburg. While his older brother Dammas oversaw operations at the family brewery, Dirck launched his own establishment named "De Zwarte Leeuw" (The Black Lion) in 1619, situated on Wijnstraat close to Wijnhaven, thereby broadening the family's footprint in the brewing industry.
In 1634, Dirck and his wife Haesje sat for Rembrandt; Dirck’s portrait is currently part of the collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, whereas Haesje’s companion piece is exhibited in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum.
Rembrandt portrait
According to Hofstede de Groot, by 1910 Dirck’s portrait had undergone modifications: "739. A MAN IN A LARGE SLOUCH HAT... Half-length, life size... Signed 'Rembrandt f. 1634'; oak panel originally ten-sided with added edges." This artwork had been included in several collections such as those of F. Kleinberger in Paris and A. de Ridder in Frankfurt.
He also recorded Haesje’s portrait as its pendant: "882. A WOMAN IN A BROAD RUFF... Half-length, life size... Signed 'Rembrandt f. 1636'; oak panel with added corners." This painting belonged to Lord Kinnaird at Rossie Priory.
Wedding pendants
Rembrandt created a portrait of Dirck Pesser's widowed mother, Aechje Claes Horst (also known as Aechje Pesser), when she was 83 years old; this painting is preserved in the National Gallery, London. It is thought to serve as a pendant to Dirck Pesser's portrait, both dating from 1634 and likely commissioned together to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Dirck's leadership at his brewery. At the time of Hofstede de Groot’s cataloging, this work was titled A Woman of Eighty-Three, with an earlier attribution to "Francoise van Wassenhoven" dismissed. The half-length depiction shows Aechje dressed in a simple black dress and white cap, bearing the signature "Rembrandt f. 1634," measuring 27 by 21 inches on an oak panel. Its provenance includes sales in Rotterdam and Paris, an exhibition at London’s British Institution in 1835, and eventual purchase by the National Gallery in 1867 for £1200.