Hendrik Gerritsz Pot, (c. 1580, Amsterdam - buried Oct 15, 1657, Amsterdam), was a Dutch painter. He lived and painted in Haarlem, where he was an officer of the militia. Frans Hals painted him in militia garb when he painted The Banquet of the Officers of the St George Militia Company ca 1639. Pot is the man reading a book on the far right. He was probably a pupil of Karel van Mander, as was Frans Hals himself, and they influenced each other. Pot’s paintings were sometimes allegorical in subject and he also painted group portraits, such as his own 1630 group portrait, Officers of the Civic Guard of Saint Adrian (displayed). He was also influenced by the genre painter and engraver, Willem Buytewech. He was active in Haarlem and London, where many of his works survive today in museums and galleries. In Haarlem he received the position of dean in the City’s Painters Guild, holding the office sporadically between 1626 and 1635, among serving other duties for the Guild. He was commissioned in London to paint portraits of King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria, probably executed around 1632. Pot’s style in genre scenes formulated what became known as ‘Merry Company’’ genre paintings. This included his 1635 piece, Portrait of a Young Woman, and it’s now lost companion piece. There is also his appropriately titled, 1630 piece, A Merry Company at Table. Both aforementioned paintings contained several inclusions of objects considered sensual symbolism. A Merry Company was itself set in a Brothel, a theme with noted popularity in the Dutch Genre style. The latter piece also contains a common theme addressed in Pot’s works; beauty, age and death. This theme culminates in a well know piece he painted, Allegory of Vanitas, or simply called, Vanity. This piece also contains motifs and symbols of sensual love. Of his other well know genre paintings were A Startling Introduction, The Coin Collector and his Flora’s Wagon of Fools (shown), in which he poked fun at the fledgling Tulip trade in Haarlem, where for a short while the floral was sold by weight. His more standard, though still stylish, portrait works include his Portrait of Sir Robert Phelips and his works of the King and Queen of England.
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