Before starting his own workshop in Haarlem, Tako Hajo Jelgersma was apprenticed to Wigerus Vitringa (1657-1725) and succeedingly Frans Decker (1684-1751). In Haarlem he joined the local St. Luke Guild in 1752. Jelgersma first developed as a marine draughtsman and later beacme active also as decoration painter, pastellist, drawing and painting (copies after) portraits. Jelgersma gave lessons to Johan Bernhard Brandhoff (1738-1803), Johannes Petrus van Horstok (1745-1825), Martinus van der Jagt (1747-1805), Cornelis van Noorde (1731-1795) and Johannes Swertner (1746-1813). Tako also favoured Jacob de Wit (1695-1754) and produced drawings which clearly show the influence of his grisailles and bas reliefs. Jelgersma was closely allied to the Delft amateur Willem van der Ley between 1737 and 1745 and seems to have established relationships with several families which brought him commissions for a series of pastel portraits. The style of these pastel portraits comes close to those by Cornelis Troost (1696-1750). Tako died in 1795, unmarried and without offspring. His friend and pupil Cornelis van Noorde etched after his self-portrait.[1][2]
The present portrait drawing of Jan de Gent (1742-1830), at the age of nineteen years old is an exceptionally fine example in the oeuvre of Jelgersma. Jan de Gent was a pastellist from Haarlem. Jelgersma also portrayed what was assumpted to be the wife of Jan de Gent, Adriana de Gent (Born 1773-), but nowadays the portrait is accepted as Anna van den Bos (1738-1802), mother to Adriana de Gent.[3]
Our pastel by Jelgersma has also been added to the Neil Jeffares, Dictionary of pastellists before 1800 (online dictionary of pastellists www.pastellists.com)
[1] R.J.A. te Rijdt, 'Tako Hajo Jelgersma (1702-1795) en Betje Wolff: het titelblad voor haar topografische atlas en een portret'.
Delineavit et Sculpsit no. 25 (September 2002), p. 26-36
[2] Van Eijnden & Van der Willigen, Geschiedenis der Vaderlandsche Schilderkunst, II (1820) p. 117-119
[3] Sotheby's, Amsterdam, 5 November 2002, lot. No. 223.
