Hendrik Pothoven had apprenticeships to Frans de Bakker (active 1736-1767) and Philip van Dijk (1683-1753) and is known as a painter of portraits, genre scenes and city views. Just like the group of eleven figure study drawings by Pothoven in the collection of Museum Kröller-Müller, his drawings are often erroneously given to Cornelis Troost.
Pothoven was a member of the Amsterdam drawing society which goes by the name of De Vriendschap Verenigt de Kunsten (Friendship Unites the Arts). The members used to gather on weekly base at the home of one of it's members and to save money to rent a model, they drew each by turn other posing in their daily garment. A small number of the draughtsmen later gave new life to the Amsterdam Drawing Academy in 1765, although Pothoven was not a member. He married to Maria van Elburg on 27 May 1764, daughter of a candle maker and became Meester Kaarsenmaker (Master of candles). Hendrik took over the candle factory based in The Hague of his father in law in 1779. From that time on he was less active as a draughtsman or painter.
His figure studies on blue paper are to be dated around 1750-1760. Who of the members of De Vriendschap Verenigt de Kunsten is the sitter on the present drawing, with his right hand akimbo in an active conversating pose, remains unknown.
[1]R.J.A. te Rijdt, 'Figuurstudies door Hendrik Pothoven',
Leids Kunsthistorisch Jaarboek 8 (1989), p. 345-367.
