Sina 'Sientje' Mesdag-van Houten

 Sina (Sientje) van Houten (23 December 1834, Groningen – 20 March 1909, The Hague) was a Dutch painter and the wife of renowned marine painter Hendrik Willem Mesdag. Born as the eldest of seven children to Derk van Houten and Barbara Elisabeth Meihuizen, she married Mesdag on 23 April 1856. She was a strong support to her husband, especially when he dedicated himself to painting in 1866.

Van Houten began her own painting career in 1871, after the loss of her only child. She received guidance in drawing from Gerkens Arnaud and in painting from her husband and cousin, Lawrence Alma-Tadema. She specialized in landscapes, still lifes, and portraits.

In 1874, she collaborated with other female artists to create a painting for Queen Sophie. In 1881, she contributed to the Panorama Mesdag, where she was also depicted working. Her work earned her accolades, including a gold medal in Amsterdam (1884) and bronze medals in Paris and Melbourne. She exhibited at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and had an honorary exhibition at the Pulchri Studio in 1905.

Van Houten's works were showcased internationally, and she was honored as an Officer in the Order of Oranje-Nassau in 1904. She passed away in The Hague in 1909 and was buried in the Oud Eik en Duinen cemetery, where her husband and brother were also laid to rest. Her paintings are part of collections in several Dutch museums, including the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Panorama Mesdag, and the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.