Benjamin Samuel Bolomey 1739-1819

Benjamin Samuel Bolomey was a leading portrait painter during the second half of the 18th century. Although the artist was born in Switzerland and educated in Paris, he worked for decades as the court painter to stadholder Willem V in The Hague. In addition to his portraits, he also painted allegorical works, created engravings and designed medallions. His French style of painting made Bolomey exceptionally popular among the wealthy elite and members of the nobility who frequently requested that he paint their portraits for their descendants. This book, published on the occasion of a large retrospective exhibition of Bolomey's work, sheds new light on the importance of Bolomey and provides a survey of his entire oeuvre. Also addressed in detail is The Hague as it was in the 18th century and the court of stadholder Willem V. The artist's prominent position within The Hague213;sworld and his contacts with the court, however, are the main focus throughout the book. This book, the first to be published about Benjamin Samuel Bolomey, will contribute to a widespread revaluation of one of the most prominent eighteenth-century portrait painters.