Interior of the Oude Kerk, Delft

1662 · Private collection

interior

This deep perspective view looking down the central aisle of the Oude Kerk in Delft, was a departure by Van Vliet from the oblique views of church interiors that had dominated his work in the 1650s. Van Vliet painted a pendant to this picture depicting a similar view of the central aisle of the Nieuwe Kerk, Delft (private collection). The painting is signed and dated at the back of the pew lower right: H.

About the Artist

Hendrick Cornelisz. van Vliet

1611 – 1675

Dutch painter. He is the only living artist discussed in Dirck van Bleyswijck's contemporary description of Delft, where he is said to have studied with his uncle, the portrait painter Willem van Vliet, and then with Michiel van Mierevelt. Hendrick entered the Guild in 1632, later specializing in painting portraits, history and perspective views, notably of church interiors. He lived in an alley on Kromstraat in 1633; opposite the Bagijnhof on Oude Delft (probably at) number 202, in 1639 and 1645. In 1653 and 1675 he lived on the east side of Oude Delft. From 1632 to c. 1650 van Vliet practised portraiture in a conservative South Holland style. Around 1651 he turned to painting interior views of actual churches, mostly the Oude Kerk or the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft. His earliest known dated architectural picture, the Pieterskerk in Leiden (1652; Brunswick, Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum), is one of about 20 paintings representing churches in Leiden, Haarlem and Dutch towns other than Delft. In 1658 he painted a view of the new Admiral Tromp funerary monument in the Oude Kerk (Old Church), commissioned by Tromps's widow. Van Vliet died in poverty; his widow was still living on Oude Delft opposite the Bagijnhof in 1689.

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