[Antique drawing] Trompe l'oeil with print portrait of Gerardus Kulenkamp (1700-1789) and paper on a wooden board, ca. 1750.

Trompe l'oeil of a wall on which a print and some paper are hanging.The print is a portrait of Gerardus Kulenkamp (1700-1789), born in Bremen, preacher in Nieuw-Loosdrecht, Delft and Amsterdam.The painter copied with some modification a portrait drawn by Jan Maurits Quinkhard (1688-1772) and engraved by Jacob Houbraken (1698-1780). In fact, the original portrait shows the preacher in half-length, with both arms visible, whereas in the drawing Kulenkamp is portrayed in an oval frame. An inscriptions runs on the top half of this very frame: 'GERARDUS KULENKAMP, Bremensi Aetat XXXIX. V.D.M. Amstelodamensis'. The print is attached to the wooden board with two sealing waxes. The painted print shows some damage along the margins, and, in order to enhance the live effect, Hoffham has marked in light grey also the plate mark, especially on the left margin.The portrait is signed on the bottom right: 'H: Hoffham Junior. Fecit 1750.'. Hoffham, as already mentioned, was inspired by the print by Houbraken. From the same print comes in fact the text reported on the piece of paper on the right, only partially visible. The text was composed by Cornelius de Cuyper (1707-1786), as reported on the bottom line. Not known is the source of the text on the left, for the most part, concealed by the piece of paper in the middle. On this one reads: 'OP DE AFBEELDINGE / Van den Eerwaarde en Geleerde Heer / GERARDUS KULENKAMP. / getrouw en veel geacht Predikant tot Amst: / De groote KULENKAMP, dat Licht, die wakk're Held! / Die Flonker Ster der Kerk in de YStadt; die Zich steld / Met onverschrokten Moed, het dwaal Rot te bestryden; / Die den Amechteling, aan Christus toe gaat wyden / Staat kunstig hier verbeeld, door HOFFHAMS Phenix Pen / Wie is't, die KULENKAMP, niet voor een Wonder ken.s / Comp. G: de JONG.'Unfortunately hardly anything is known about this German draftsman. On the bottom right a later signature in pen and brown ink added: 'G [...] te Maarsten.' Drawing in color on light brown prepared paper, mounted on paperboard, pen and ink, wash and oil; total: 335 x 244 mm. Within wooden frame. In very good condition