Lot 463: Louis Bernard Coclers (Liege 1741-1817)

Louis Bernard Coclers (Liege 1741-1817)
Portrait of Jacob Hendrik van Suchtelen (1722-1787), half-length, in military costume; and Portrait of Hendrik Willem van Suchtelen (1721-?), half-length, in military costume with a red sash
the first signed and dated 'Bernard Coclers 1770' (lower right)
oil on canvas
100.8 x 81.5 cm.
a pair (2)

E.W. Moes, Iconographia Batava, Amsterdam, 1897, no. 7697.

The well-to-do Jan Hendrik van Suchtelen could afford to dedicate most of his life to the arts and sciences. As an amateur, he learned to draw from Frans van Eynden and used his skills, among others, for numerous depictions of flowers and plants. He was a fond collector of coins and medals, naturalia and paintings. And his abilities as a draughtsman combined with his interests in maths almost naturally drew him to architecture. In 1760, he was appointed town architect of the city of Nijmegen, his home town.

He had his portrait painted by Louis Bernard Coclers more than once. Besides the present lot, a portrait en profil is kept in the Museum het Valkhof, Nijmegen. Coclers was born in Liège but for most of his early career, he worked in the Dutch cities Maastricht, Nijmegen, Dordrecht and Leiden. Later in life, he spend time in London and Paris before returning to Liège. His style was very much influenced by the Fijnschilders, like Gabriel Metsu and Frans van Mieris.