Maria Schalcken

The Artist at Work in Her Studio, about 1680

• Maria Schalcken (Dutch, 1647/50–before 1700)
• Oil on panel, 44.1 x 34.3 cm (17 3/8 x 13 1/2 in.)
• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Promised gift of Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo, in support of the Center for Netherlandish Art

,,, IThe Artist

Not much is known about the life or art career of Maria Schalcken. There are only two extant paintings that can be attributed to her with confidence. She was trained by her brother, Dutch Golden Age artist Godefridus Schalcken (1643–1706). In terms of subject matter, she painted primarily scenes from everyday life (genre scenes).

According to RKD (the Netherlands Institute for Art History), Maria Schalcken was the daughter of Reverend Cornelis Schalcken (1610–1674) and Aletta Lijdens (1612–1678), sister of three other girls and of four boys, including Godefridus (her teacher, mentioned above). In July 1682 she married merchant Severijn van Bracht, with whom she had at least one daughter, Anna (1683); and one son, Cornelis (1685). 

The self-portrait featured here was assumed to be a portrait of the artist by her brother until sometime in the 1900s, when it was cleaned, and her full signature appeared. The other work attributed to Maria Schalcken is called Boy Offering Grapes to a Woman, held in The Leiden Collection.

The Leiden Collection:

Highlights of a Video Conversation about Maria Schalcken’s Boy Offering Grapes to a Woman: Explore >

Full-Length Video Conversation: Explore >

YouTube Introduction by Regina Haggo to a Self-Portrait by Maria Schalcken: Explore >