Imaginary Church Interior

1629 · Private collection

interior

This signed and dated panel depicts an imaginary church interior with a staircase, an organ, a tomb, and elegant figures, with a dog in the foreground. Dirck van Delen specialized in architectural subjects, in particular palaces and church interiors. Although the identity of his teacher remains unclear, the influence of artists such as Pieter Neeffs, active a generation earlier, and Hans and Paul Vredeman de Vries, the Dutch father and son who worked at the court of Rudolf II in Prague, on van Delen's art is indubitable.

About the Artist

Dirck van Delen

1604 – 1671

Dutch painter. He was the pupil of Frans Hals and Hendrick Aerts (active early 17th century). His work consists almost entirely of architectural paintings of imaginary palaces and church interiors. His earliest paintings of palace scenes were influenced significantly by the work of Hans Vredeman de Vries and his son Paul Vredeman de Vries. He also painted church interiors, in which he initially showed an influence of the paintings by Hendrick Aerts. His church interiors are also close in style to those of Bartholomeus van Bassen. When he married in 1625 he was a citizen of Middelburg, but he settled in nearby Arnemuiden, where he became master of the toll-house. From 1628 until his death he was almost continually a member of the town council, mostly as burgomaster. He was widowed three times and had at least one son, though no children survived him. The inventory of his estate testifies that he was well-to-do.

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