Bust of Amphitrite

Entry

These busts of Amphitrite (shown here) and Neptune (BK-NM-3326) are terracotta models of wooden busts at the corners of the cornice of Huis Sint Janshoofd at 101 Keizersgracht in Amsterdam that is richly ornamented with foliage (fig. a). The premises were commissioned shortly after 1712 by the wealthy Amsterdam citizen Jacob Temminck (1677-1755). He was not only a merchant and banker, but also owned whaling ships. The two sea gods refer to the latter.

In 1971 Fischer associated the busts on stylistic grounds with the artistic circle of the Amsterdam sculptor Ignatius van Logteren (1685-1732).¹ Later that art historian was able to attribute the entire gable top of Huis Sint Janshoofd more specifically to the brother-in-law and conceivable master of this sculptor: the sculptor/architect Anthonie Turck (c. 1668-1725).² Turck had himself been trained by the Amsterdam architect Pieter Adolfsz de Zeeuw and shortly afterwards began his own construction company, which soon expanded to become the largest and most important in the city.

Although, according to Fischer, the wooden busts on the gable top of Huis Sint Janshoofd could have been made by Turck, the terracotta preliminary studies differ too much stylistically to attribute them to him. They would have been modelled by one of Turck’s pupils or assistants. Although Fischer does not give this as an option, it is very possible that it was Ignatius van Logteren,³ who worked for a long time – until around 1717 – on his brother-in-law’s projects.⁴ The heads of Van Logteren’s standing Juno and Pluto figures from a series of sculptures deriving from country house Boom en Bosch (now in the Lauwersgrachtpark in Arnhem) are akin to the present busts of sea gods.⁵ The fact that early in his career Van Logteren was already a skilled modeller, is confirmed by his allegorical terracotta putti dated ‘1710’ in the Amsterdam Museum.⁶

Bieke van der Mark, 2025