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The Life of a Leeuwarden Painter

Rienk Keijert lived much of his life within the walls of Leeuwarden. Born in 1709, he was the son of Frans Keyert and Maria Jelgerhuis. His path as a painter began with formal training at the Hague drawing academy. By 1732, he was known in Leeuwarden as Renicus Keyert, having been admitted to the congregation after arriving from 's-Gravenhage. His presence in the city was marked by more than just his brush; he held several civic roles, including serving as a member of the Leeuwarden vroedschap from 1750 and acting as a chamberlain for the States of Friesland. He married Ymkje Meekma in 1740, a union that lasted roughly thirty-four years until his death in 1775.

A Hand in Civic Life and Decoration

His work often moved between the private and the public. He was tasked with decorative painting and the delivery of almanacs, and his hands were busy with the design of firework theaters, such as those created for the arrival of Willem Karel Hendrik Friso and Anna van Hannover in 1734. In 1760, he provided portraits of the stadtholder family for the newly built Leeuwarder raadzaal, though these specific works were not preserved. His skill extended to the creation of grisailes within that same council chamber. In the Fries Museum, one can find a large allegory of the city of Leeuwarden, a work that speaks to his role as a portrait and history painter.

The Final Years in Leeuwarden

Keijert’s life was tied to the rhythms of his city. He was a citizen of Leeuwarden by 1742 and held the position of vaandrig of the schutterij in Oost Minnema espel in 1743. Even his civic duties were sometimes tied to family, as he was appointed chamberlain in 1740 to provide income for his father. When he passed away on 10 January 1775, he was buried at the Jacobijnerkerkhof. Following his death, his collection of paintings, prints, and drawings was auctioned in February of that year.