Young man with jew's harp

Young man with jew's harp 
1621

Dirck van Baburen

The Boy with mouth-harp is the first in a series of isolated musicians painted in half-length, which the Utrecht Caravaggists introduced to the north of Europe. The idea of portraying a musician this way goes back to Caravaggio (Italy, 1571-1610) and his followers. Baburen’s painting is one of the first to show up in the North. It dates from 1621, the year in which he returned from Italy. It is generally accepted that this is the first work that he made upon returning home.

The procuress

The procuress 
1625

Gerard van Honthorst

It is the procuress’ job to arrange ‘love for money’ by bringing men in contact with women of questionable repute. With her colourful clothing, her cleavage and the feathers in her hair, she is easy to distinguish from the average citizen. The feathers are a reference to her wanton character. The lute, which she is holding by the neck, had a clear, sexual connotation in the 17th century. The shadows of the hand of the boy and the girl meet each other on the instrument. Scenes illuminated by a single candle were the speciality of ‘Gherardo della Notte’, as the Romans admiringly called him.

Granida and Daifilo

Granida and Daifilo 
1625

Gerard van Honthorst

Gerard van Honthorst, mostly known for his Caravaggist work, shows in this painting his abilities as a full-fledged Classicist. The composition is built up in complete balance from two idealized figures. The lighting is even and the colours are bright. The scene depicted here comes from a pastoral play called Granida by Pieter Cornelisz Hooft. It is the love story of the Persian princess Granida and the shepherd Daifilo. This work was probably painted for the wedding of Stadholder Prince Frederik Hendrik of Orange and Amalia van Solms.

St Maarten

St Maarten 
(circa 1450 - 1451)

Jan Nude

In the Middle Ages, the diocese of Utrecht was an important centre of sculpture. With more than forty churches and chapels, there was great demand for sculptures to venerate the countless saints. Little remains of this religious art, however. Mob rage in the sixteenth century frequently targeted the churches, with entire church interiors wrecked and sculptures demolished. Whatever remained intact after these iconoclastic furies disappeared with the advent of the Reformation (in Utrecht in 1580). As part of preparing the Dom church for Protestant services, the Dom chapter in charge of the cathedral took the initiative of having all sculptures removed by a contractor. A small selection of sculptures was thus safely stored in the chapter’s archive. Following the abolishment of the Dom chapter in 1811, the sculptures were offered for sale. They were purchased by the Utrecht architect Christiaan Kramm, who sold them on to the municipal council in 1838. The central figure is Saint Martin, the patron saint of the cathedral and of the city of Utrecht. The saint is depicted as a Roman officer on his horse, cutting a piece from his mantle for a beggar with a mangy dog. The sculptures has been preserved remarkably intact. Even the original polychrome can still be seen to some extent.

View on the city of Utrecht

View on the city of Utrecht 
(1650 - 1665)

Joost Cornelisz. Droochsloot

This is a west view of Utrecht. Behind the city wall, a sea of church towers emerges. Across the foreground winds the Oude Rijn, just before becoming the Leidsche Rijn canal. Plans had been made here for a huge expansion of the city. Droochsloot has recorded a panorama that seemed to be disappearing. Although lack of money meant the new developments could not go ahead, the skyline would still change dramatically due to a devastating tornado on 1 August 1674. Unaware of this threat, the painter had documented this old setting for us.