Dr. Adolph Samuel van Oven, the artist's father. Portrait and profile of Dr Adolph Samuel van Oven (1837-1915), writing behind his desk. Coen van Oven painted this portrait before the start of his painting career. It is one of four works that Coen painted in the director's house at the Steegoversloot in Dordrecht. After the death of the painter, this work was found folded or rolled up in the studio in very poor condition and was restored around 1980 by order of the new owner. After the restoration, the new owner discovered that the chair depicted is the same as the chair that in his parental home was respectfully designated as "the chair of Busken Huet". If the chair is placed next to the painting (or even better, if a photo of the painting is placed next to the chair - the chair is actually better seen in a photo of the painting, which is very dark, than the painting itself, we see the painter's amazing attention to detail: the natural drawing and the stains of the wood are very accurately painted. It therefore seems likely that the portrait is also a very good likeness. Incidentally: the story that the chair belongs to Busken Huet is in all probability incorrect. The rolltop desk depicted in the painting stood from 1925 to 1940 as an additional desk in the study of Prof. J.C. van Oven (son of the sitter and brother of the painter). [Google translation of http://stichtingcoenvanoven.nl/werken/de-vader-van-de-schilder-werkend-aan-een-cilinderbureau/]