Hoogsteder Journal No. 3

Although Houbraken names more than 600 painters, the number of painters of some quality in the Golden Age was so great that he could not possibly have mentioned them all. In De Grote Schouwburg one seeks in vain for Isaac van DUYNEN, whose Still Life with Fish on a Table is now on view at Hoogsteder & Hoogsteder. Fortunately documents from the archives give us a good picture of this painter from The Hague, who seems not to have been averse to a good quarrel.

Choosing a suitable frame for an Old Master is no simple matter. Especially considering the enormous variety available from different periods. Which is why specialists are often called in. Frame-making is John Davies of London's speciality and together we compiled the following report.

On the whole we know little about the everyday life of Dutch painters of the seventeenth century. Often all we have is a few humdrum facts, such as the year an artist was born or died, the name of his wife or the number of children he had. Anyone who wants to learn more about the artists as people should read De Grote Schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen by Arnold Houbraken.

On display at the Mauritshuis in The Hague until 29 March 1998 is the exhibition Princely Patrons. The show provides an idea of the art collected by Prince Frederick Henry and his consort Amalia von Solms. Carola Vermeeren, joint-curator of the exhibition, discusses the artistic acquisitions of the Stadholder and his wife.

There must be many people who have never visited the Rijksmuseum Twenthe in Enschede. This is a pity, because after a long period when the museum was closed for renovations, it has now reopened with an exceptionally attractive and original presentation of its collection of art and crafts from the middle ages to the present day.

Today's fans of the Elfstedentocht skating race would have enjoyed life in the seventeenth century. Because from the fifteenth to midway through the nineteenth century the Arctic ice had forced its way so far south that winters in the northern provinces were regularly more severe than before or after. In fact climatologists refer to this period as a minor Ice Age. So, the many ditches, waterways and canals of the Northern Netherlands provided ample opportunity for enjoyment on the ice. Indeed, winter was a time for fun.