Herman Doomer or Hermann Dommers (1595 – 14 March 1650) was a Dutch Golden Age furniture and frame-maker who is best known today for his portrait by Rembrandt.[1]

Herman Doomer
Herman Doomer by Rembrandt (1640) in Metropolitan Museum of Art
Born1595
Died1650
NationalityDutch

Life edit

He was born in Anrath, near Venlo, and married Baertje Martens from Naarden in 1618. He ran a successful business in ebony-veneer furniture and frames in the Kalverstraat, Gasthuismolensteeg and Hartenstraat.[2][3][4] By 1625 Doomer already played a prominent role within the group of Amsterdam ebony workers.[5] At times he collaborated with Pieter Quast and Johannes Lutma. From 1641 he used colored baleen.[6]

He was very inventive in his use of material, for example, baleen or whalebone, which was pressed in a metal mould. He also used different types of tropical wood, which he decorated with images or fine marquetry of mother-of-pearl and ivory.[7]

Doomer was buried at Nieuwezijds Kapel as his widow (1596-1678).

His son Lambert Doomer, a landscape painter, assisted the mother in the business.[8] He inherited both portraits and made copies for his siblings.[9]

Pendant portrait edit

Furniture edit

References edit

  1. ^ Dutch Paintings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Band 1 by Walter A. Liedtke, Metropolitan Museum of Art, p.604-612
  2. ^ I.H. van Eeghen, 'Baertjen Martens en Herman Doomer', Maandblad Amstelodamum 43 (1956), p. 133-137
  3. ^ Baarsen, Reinier (1996). "Herman Doomer, Ebony Worker in Amsterdam". The Burlington Magazine. 138 (1124): 739–749. ISSN 0007-6287.
  4. ^ "Herman Doomer". Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  5. ^ "A rare cupboard attributed to Herman Doomer". www.phoogendijk.com. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  6. ^ (2010) In: Bulletin van de vereniging rembrandt Jaargang 20 n0 1, p. 19-22
  7. ^ https://gallerease.com/nl/kunstenaars/herman-doomer__81265b2f7bfd
  8. ^ "RKD Research". research.rkd.nl. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Herman Doomer (1595–1650), Rembrandt's Frame-Maker | Art UK". artuk.org. Retrieved 26 March 2024.

External links edit