Mayor Wigbold Gruys (1713-1716, 1717, 1720)

About this artwork.

Wigbold Gruys (1652 - 1720), also written as Wijgbolt/Wigboldus Gruijs, was mayor of Groningen in the period 1713 - 1716, 1717 and 1720. He was one of the four mayors who knew Groningen at that time.

This eighteenth-century portrait of the mayor from 1717 was painted by Hermannus (Herman) Collenius (1650 - 1723). The painting was initially intended for the Groninger Museum by the owner, but after consultation with him, it was loaned to the municipality to be added to the City Hall's collection of mayor portraits.

Herman Collenius was a Groningen portrait and history painter. He often painted personifications, mythical figures and religious images. He painted in Groningen for over thirty years, including the highly regarded history paintings for the Groningen city and provincial authorities. Over the years Collenius was allowed to paint many portraits of members of wealthy families in the city and surrounding area. The striking thing about these portraits is that in the background you can usually see an Italian fantasy landscape and an orange-colored sky: Italian sunsets. This way you can see whether a portrait is of Collenius or not.

There are three streets in the Netherlands named after Herman Collenius: one in Leek, one in Uithuizen, and one in Groningen. The Herman Colleniusstraat in Groningen is known for one of the two water towers in Groningen (although it is formally located on the Hofstede de Grootkade).

Facts & Figures.

• Artist(s)
  Herman Collenius

• Year of creation
  1717

• Dimensions (in cm)
  128x104

• Collection
  Town Hall Collection

• Technic
  Oil paint on canvas