Jan Verkolje was a celebrated painter of portraits and genre pieces. His work is entirely in the style of the late seventeenth century, when small formats, elegant poses, glossy fabrics and expressive colours were all the fashion. Both in his portraits and his genre paintings he emulated a highly successful contemporary artist, Caspar Netscher. No evidence exists, however, that they were ever master and pupil. Verkolje's portraits also reveal similarities with work by other artists of the period: Michiel van Musscher and Jan Weenix, as well as Netscher's sons Constantijn and Theodoor and his pupil Daniel Haringh.
Jan Verkolje painted portraits of a number of famous contemporaries, including physicists Anthonie van Leeuwenhoek and Cornelis van 's-Gravesande, as well as Stadholder-King William III and his consort, Queen Mary II.
Verkolje was born in Amsterdam in 1650. According to the eighteenth-century artists' biographer Arnold Houbraken he was apprenticed to Jan Lievens the Younger for a while, at whose studio he began by finishing incomplete paintings by Gerard Pietersz. van Zijl. It was through the latter's work that Verkolje learned how to paint with the smooth, precise style which was to become his trademark in the elegant portraits and polished genre pieces of later years.
In October 1672 Jan Verkolje married Judith Voorheul of Delft. Verkolje settled with his wife in her native town and in 1673 he joined the local St Luke's guild. Over the years he often sat on the governing board of the Delft guild, occasionally also serving as deacon. Jan and Judith Verkolje had at least two sons, Jan junior and Nicolaas, both of whom continued in their father's footsteps. Other famous painters who began as apprentices to Verkolje include Adriaen van der Burg and Thomas van der Wilt. They made their name in the early eighteenth century as portrait painters.
References
Probably cabinet of M.S.B. Bos, Harlingen; auction, Amsterdam 21
February 1888, no. 167 (Portrat d'un patricien et de sa femme. Deux
tableau. L'homme est representé assis revêtu d'une robe de chambre
de damas bleu; la dame est également assise. Fonds de parc. Signés:
J. Verkolje 1693. Cuivre h. 53, l. 45 cm); Burkhardt collection,
Switzerland (label on back).