Beauty, Seduction and Sharing: Jacques des Rousseaux

Jacques des Rousseaux

The National Museum of Ancient Art (MNAA) presented Lute Player Accompanying an Old Man Holding a Musical Score by Jacques des Rousseaux, a rare and intriguing work from the Gaudium Magnum Foundation collection.

Little is known about the life of des Rousseaux. His family, originally from Tourcoing in northern France, sought refuge in Leiden, in the Netherlands. Born around 1600, des Rousseaux appears to have maintained close ties to his origins, possibly returning to France after a formative study trip to Italy — a rite of passage for many northern European artists drawn to the legacy of Caravaggio. He was almost certainly a pupil of Rembrandt, who maintained a workshop in Leiden between 1628 and 1631. The influence of Rembrandt is evident in des Rousseaux’s work, to the extent that some of his paintings were later misattributed to the master himself.

While many of his works are tronies — intense studies of facial expression associated with Rembrandt’s circle — this painting departs from that format. It depicts an intimate musical performance between two figures, blending the warmth of Rembrandt’s early style with the dramatic naturalism of Caravaggio.

Convers’arte with David De Witt
13.05.2025

For the third edition of Convers’arte, the Foundation is pleased to welcome David de Witt, Senior Curator at the Rembrandt House Museum, for a reflection on one of the Dutch masterpieces in the Gaudium Magnum Foundation collection: Lute Player Accompanying an Old Man Holding a Musical Score by Jacques de Rousseaux.

Titled Caravaggio Comes to Leiden: Jacques de Rousseaux’s Musical Allegory, the lecture explores the world of seventeenth-century Dutch painting, tracing Rousseaux’s connections to the Leiden circle of Rembrandt and Jan Lievens, while uncovering echoes of Caravaggio’s followers in Utrecht.

Although still a relatively little-known figure of the Dutch Golden Age, Jacques de Rousseaux stands out for the distinctive blend of influences in his work. While best known for his expressive tronies—character studies focused on facial expression—Rousseaux also produced refined musical scenes, such as the painting presented at the MNAA. This work recalls Rembrandt’s early Musical Allegory (Rijksmuseum) and reveals the imprint of Caravaggesque naturalism, possibly absorbed through Jan Lievens or through contact with French painters such as Nicolas Tournier and Trophime Bigot.

With keen insight, David de Witt guides the audience through the subtle layers of influence and innovation that shape this singular composition, showing how Rousseaux forged his own artistic path—an independent vision, distinct from both his models and his fellow pupils.

Convers’arte: Crossroads in the Gouden Eeuw | Recital-Conference by Miguel Jalôto
03.06.2025

A very special edition of Convers’Arte marked the closing of Jacques des Rousseaux’s painting exhibition at the MNAA — and served as a musical farewell before the Foundation’s return to the Museum in 2027 with new and exciting programs.
In collaboration with the National Museum of Music, the recital-conference Between Antwerp and Amsterdam – Crossroads of the Gouden Eeuw explored the cultural dialogue between the Low Countries and Southern Europe in the early 1600s. The event invited guests on a journey in time through two exceptional objects which reflect the rich musical culture of the Golden Age: a Flemish virginal and a music-themed painting by Jacques des Rousseaux. The virginal — crafted in Antwerp in the tradition of Hans Ruckers and part of the collection of the National Museum of Music — exemplifies the domestic music-making of the period. The painting by Jacques des Rousseaux, a French artist active in Leiden and associated with Rembrandt, captures a complementary visual universe, shaped by artistic influences from both Italy and France.

In the beautiful Salão Nobre of the MNAA, Miguel Jalôto, a specialist in early keyboard music, brought to life music that may have echoed over 400 years ago, breathing new energy into both instrument and painting. The repertoire ranged from Italian dances and madrigals to French airs de cour, elegant solo songs popular in 17th-century courtly circles and was performed on the original virginal, recently restored by Geert Karman — an instrument builder dedicated to crafting historical keyboard instruments.

These sounds possibly echoed the same melodies depicted in Des Rousseaux’s painting, reanimating the past through dialogue between music, image and history.

With this memorable afternoon, the Foundation concluded yet another chapter in its growing partnership with MNAA, looking forward for many more.