PRACTICAL INFORMATION
The pendants depict Jan Willemsz van der Pluym and Jaapgen Caerlsdr., a married couple from Leiden who were related to Rembrandt through their son. These intimate portraits, just 20 centimetres high, were likely created as a personal gesture – a favour from the master himself. Long hidden away in private collections, they resurfaced in 2023 when auctioned at Christie’s as “the last Rembrandt pair in private hands.” Thanks to the Holterman family, they are now accessible to the public.
Jan and Jaapgen – small in size, grand in presence
The pendants depict Jan Willemsz van der Pluym and Jaapgen Caerlsdr., a married couple from Leiden who were related to Rembrandt through their son. These portraits, just 20 centimetres tall, were likely created as a personal gesture – a favour from the master himself. For many years, they remained under the radar in private collections, until they were auctioned at Christie’s in 2023 as “the last Rembrandt pair in private hands.” Thanks to the Holterman family, they are now accessible to the public.
