Portrait of a Woman (Dancer)

Ask anything

• Bas asked

  PS
  On anoter painting with same dress a connection with a woman called Fie Carelse is made…

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Dear Bas, I just sent you an email with this information without noticing that you found it already yourself. The identification of the woman as Fie Carelsen is not 100% sure either. I found another painting that shows the same woman as 'Italian girl'. Other names that circulate are Dina Diependael and Ina Bloemendael. To be sure, it is necessary to find a reliable source (photo or letter or eye witness report). Maybe you can find a photo of your great grandmother and compare? Kind regards, Els

• Bas asked

  Dear Francesca,
  If this is Meina Irwen indeed, i’ld be most interested to know, for she is my great grandmother.
  Thank you for any information,
  Kind regards

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Dear Bas, Thank you for reaching out. Unfortunately there is no information about the identity of the women in our collection registration system. Jan Sluyters did indeed paint portrait of Meina Irwin in 1916, but that painting is in a private collection and shows a woman in a blue dress on a sofa. Her hair is less dark. The woman on the Boijmans painting figures on another portrait by Sluiters, in the same clothes even, which identifies her as the actress Fie Carelsen. I hope this is helpful. Kind regards, Els

• Geoffrey Bremner asked

  I believe this is a portrait of Meina Irwen. I have a photograph of a portrait her niece (my wife's grand mother) and you can see the family similarity in particular the hands.

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Hi Geoffrey Bremner, if you have more information on this matter, we would love to receive it. You can send it to curator Francesco Stocchi: stocchi@boijmans.nl. Thank you! Rianne