86 THE NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY it is now on loan exhibition in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It makes a distinct and a most important contribution to early American portraiture.1 The portait of Jan Strycker (1617-1697) is signed on the face: "AETATIS 38—1655." It belonged to the artist's daughter, Altje, who married J. Abraham Stevense Van Voorhees, of Flat-- lands, L„ I., whose nephew, Johannes Coerte Van Voorhees (1683— I757)> was trie next owner. He wrote on the back of the picture this inscription: Given to Altje by her father Jacobus Gerritsen Strieker who himself drew this likeness Of his brother Jan. J. C. Van Voorhees. The portrait was inherited by his son, Cortland Van Voorhees (1706-1785), of Fishkill, Dutchess County, and of Flatlands, who left it to his daughter Catherine (1730-1797), who married Dr. Hendrick Van Beuren of Flatlands. Their son, Cortlandt Van Beuren, was the fifth owner. His son, Henry Van Beuren of Brooklyn (1805—1892) was the next owner, from whom it was inherited by his daughter, Catherine. The ownership of the portrait of Adriaen Van der Donck has been the same as that of the Jan Strycker portrait. On the back is the following inscription: Jonkeer Adrian Van der Donck Given to Altje by her father Jacobus Gerritsen Strieker Who drew it with his own hand. Johannes Coerte Van Voorhees. The picture is neither signed nor dated, but it must have been painted about 1654, as Van der Donck returned to New Amsterdam from Holland in 1653 and died in 1655. This is a very superior portrait. The modeling is very much like that of the Rembrandt portraits painted by Jacob Backer. One marvels that such a portrait could have been painted in this country at that early period, and one realizes that Jacobus Strycker, before he left Hol- •The Society was unable to secure permission to reproduce this portrait in time for this issue of the Bulletin—It was reproduced in Register of Pedigrees, Volume I, facing page 56, (Collections of the N. Y. Gen. & Biog. Society, Vol. VI.)