Wybrand was born as the youngest of four children, his father being the sculptor Hendrik Hendriksz. (c. 1704-1782) and his mother Aaltje Claasdr. (c. 1705-1767). Both his brothers Hendrik Hendriksz. Jr. (1734-before 1792) and Frans Hendriks (1738-1796) were sculptors also and his elder sister Cornelia married the sculptor Rijk Rijke (1736-1806). Wybrand married twice, his first wife Agatha Ketel in 1775 and after she passed away Wybrand marries Geertruid Harmsen in 1804. Hendriks was apprenticed to Johannes Remmers where he worked in the wallpaper factory. During the same years he was member of the Stadsteken-Academie (City Drawing Academy) in 1765-1774. For several years Wybrand owned the wallpaper factory of Anthony Palthe which he bought after his death. In 1776 Wybrand became member of the St. Luke Guild. After the Teekenakademie (Drawing Academy) was dissolved, Hendriks bought it's complete inventory and set up Het Teeken College, functioning as director and active member.[1]
Wybrand Hendriks (1744-1831) was the second kastelein and curator of Teylers Museum, Haarlem, where he succeeded Vincent Jansz. van der Vinne (1736-1811) after his quarrel with director Martinus van Marum (who wasn’t an easy going person to deal with) in 1785. As second curator Hendriks was of great importance for the collection of the museum which he enriched in 1790 by acquiring the Don Livio Odescalchi, Duke of Bracciano (1652-1713) collection with the corpus of drawings previously owned by Queen Christina of Sweden (1626-1689) for 10.000 guilders in Rome. This collection comprised drawings by Bernini, Michelangelo, Raphael, Claude Lorrain and no less than 118 drawings by Hendrick Goltzius.[2]
Although Hendriks made numerous portraits, often portraying his close friends and fellow artists in Haarlem like Warnaar Horstink (1756-1815), Cornelis van Noorde (1731-1795), Tako Hajo Jelgersma (1702-1795), Paulus van Liender (1731-1797) and Hendrik Tavernier (1734-1807), self-portraits by the artist are very rare and only a handful has been recorded. One drawn signed and 1814 dated self-portrait is with the City Archives of Haarlem.[3] Two painted self-portraits of wich one together with his wife Agatha Ketel preserved in Haarlem, one with Teylers Museum and one with Frans Hals Museum.[4][5] In a manuscript letter to Johannis de Breuk, Wybrand wrote his letter around a sketched self-portrait in pen and ink.[6]
Very typically for his self-portrais, Hendriks looks with a cunning look, his face slightly averted while making direct eye-contact with the spectators. As if he wants to say Here I am and I do see you with he bold look of a convinced and highly self-assured artist.
In the collection (and it's auction) of prof. I. Q. van Regteren Altena, former director and keeper of the Rijksprentankabinet, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam also was one self-portrait by Wybrand Hendriks, though significantly smaller and less detailed.[7]
[1] I.Q. van Regteren Altena, J.H. van Borssum Buisman en C.J. de Bruyn Kops, Wybrand Hendriks 1744-1831, Keuze uit zijn schilderijen en tekeningen, toegelicht door..
Teylers Museum, Haarlem, 1972.
[2] Claire van den Donk, Terry van Druten, Rudi Ekkart, Marleen Ram et al., Wybrand Hendriks (1744-18310, Kunstenaar, conservator, Kastelein, Restaurator, Bestuurder, Verzamelaar, Kunsthandelaar en Netwerker. Waanders, Zwolle/Teylers Museum, Haarlem, 2023.
[3] Wybrand Hendriks, Portret van de schilder.
Charcoal, heightened with white on grey paper, 338 x 269 mm.
Annotated on the verso "W. Hendriks na zigh zelfs getekend 1814, oud 69 jaar". Gemeente Archief, Haarlem (verz. C. Ekama, 1891, n. 885)
[4] Wybrand Hendriks, Self-portrait of Wybrand Hendriks with Agatha Ketel (1791-1802).
Oil onpanel, 35,6 x 48,9 cm. Teylers Museum, Haarlem. inv. no. KS 1999 003
[5] Wybrand Hendriks, Self-portrait (1807).
Oil on panel, 30 x 33 cm. Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem. inv. no. os I-146
[6] Wybrand Hendriks, Manuscript letter to Johannis de Breuk, with self-portrait, 1819.
Pen and brown ink, 21,7 x 17,3 cm. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. inv. no. Rp-T-1940-127
[7] The I.Q Van Regteren Altena Collection part II - Dutch and Flemish Drawings from 1500 to 1900.
Christie's, Amsterdam. 10 December 2014, lot. 26.
