The painter of stained glass windows Pieter Jansz. was a pupil of Jan Philipsz. van Bouckhorst (Haarlem, 1588-1632) and gave lesson to the Art dealer Jan Pietersz. Zomer (Amsterdam, 1641-1724).[1] Pieter married Oetje Jacobs in 1633 after which the couple lived in the Wolvestraat and Herengracht in Amsterdam. A collection of twelve stained windows by him is preserved in the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk te Oudshoorn (Dutch Reformed Church of Oudshoorn) designed by Daniël Stalpaert. The original drawings preserved at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.[2](image 3)
Besides a stained glass draughtsman, Pieter Jansz. was also a designer for cartouches for Joan Blaeu (Amsterdam, 1598-1673). For Jodocus Jansonius he drew the "Triomf van Frederik Hendrik" which was engraved by Jacob van Meurs. This was the frontispice for J. Commelin's "Fredrick Hendrick van Nassau Prince van Orangien zyn leven en Bedrijf", Amsterdam, 1651. He also illustrated Johan van Beverwycks "Schat der Gesontheydt", 1656.[3]
The typical auricular style (Dutch; "kwab ornamentiek") is present in his stained glass drawings as well in his cartouche designs.
Our drawing is a typical cartouche design by Jansz. with a rectangular titlepiece surrounded by six palyful putti in the typical style of Jansz. The drawing has been indented for transfer indicating it is an original design for a certouche engraving or etching. The annotation "Holsteijn" in the lower left is an erroneous old attribution to Cornelis Holsteijn (Haarlem, 1618-Amsterdam, 1658).
The drawing is depicted in "Architecture & Ornament" by Paul Prouté, Paris, 2014.[4]
The inventory of the private-collection of Jan Pietersz. Zomer mentions amongst others "Aardige Sierade en Uytgevoerde Compartementjes" and "Kindertjes" which could be the cartouche designs for Blaeu. Arnold Houbraken called him "een konstig teekenaar op papier" (a skillful draughtsman working on paper) in his "De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen".
The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam keeps a collection of stained glass designs and cartouche drawings by Pieter Jansz.[5][6](images 4 and 5)
[1] Marijn Schapelhouman, Tekeningen van Pieter Jansz., "Konstig Glasschrijver". Bulletin van het Rijksmuseum 33 (1985), p. 71-92.
[2] Pieter Jansz., Ontwerp voor glasraam 10 geschonken door het hoogheemraadschap Rijnland. Pen and brown ink, grey wash, watercolour, pencil, 608 x 250 mm. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, inv. no. RP-T-1894-A-2839.
[3] There Folmer-von Oven, Illustraties van Pieter jansz. voor Johan van Beverwycks Schat der Gesondheydt, 1656. Delineavit et Sculpsit nr. 16, january 1996, p. 8-15.
[4] Paul Prouté, Architecture & Ornament, paris, 2014. No. 9, p. 32-33.
[5] Pieter Jansz., Design for a print. Pen and brown ink, grey wash, indented for transfer. 102 x 163 mm. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, inv. no. RP-T-1898-A-3655.
[6] Pieter Jansz., Cartouche with two boys (design for a print). Pen and brown ink, grey wash, indented for transfer. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, inv. no. RP-T-1898-A-3634.
