Portrait of Magda Janssens

Person depicted Magda Janssens (1884-1973)
Role De markiezin van Arcis (Carl Sternheim)
Artist Jan Korthals (1916-1972)
Medium Oil on canvas
Year 1951

The Flemish actor Magda Janssens made her debut at the Antwerp theatre in the early twentieth century and came to the Netherlands during the First World War, where she played leading roles with many companies, among them Badeloch in Gijsbrecht van Amstel and the title role in De Markiezin van Arcis by Carl Sternheim — the role in which Jan Korthals portrayed her in this work of 1951. Janssens gave her name to the hoedenspeld, a hat pin awarded for solo performances and passed on from one actor to the next. Its present holder is Gerda Havertong.