Pieter de Hooch
Research into the artist’s painting technique
The technical research into the painting technique of Pieter de Hooch (1629 - in or after 1679) was initiated in preparation of the retrospective exhibition ‘Pieter de Hooch in Delft. From the Shadow of Vermeer’ (October 2019 - February 2020) organized by and held in Museum Prinsenhof Delft.
About the project
Pieter de Hooch’s intimate depictions of 17th-century Dutch domestic life are well known, widely admired and often mentioned, but the artist’s painting technique is far less understood. The scientific and technical research, which included the principal non-invasive imaging techniques currently available, focused initially on the six paintings by De Hooch in the Rijksmuseum collection. However, it rapidly evolved into a much broader research project including varying technical information of around 40 paintings by the artist from other major collections around the world.
Aim of the project
Non-invasive imaging techniques combined with a review of already existing information on his painting technique were used to obtain new insights into De Hooch’s artistic choices. How did De Hooch create his paintings? Which supports did he use, how were they prepared? How did the painter construct the compositions of his interiors and courtyards in perspective? Which pigments did De Hooch use and how did he handle the paint in order to create, for example, his realistic, almost tangible, light effects? A current research focus lies on the genesis of the group of paintings in De Hooch's oeuvre of which the artist painted more than one version. In what ways do these versions differ and what are the similarities?
Staff
Anna Krekeler
Paintings conservator
a.krekeler@rijksmuseum.nl
Partners and sponsors
This project is a collaboration with the Museum Het Prinsenhof in Delft, the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC and the Mauritshuis, The Hague.
Publicaties
- A. Krekeler, ‘A Study of Pieter de Hooch’s Painting Technique’ in the catalogue of the exhibition Pieter de Hooch in Delft. From the Shadow of Vermeer, Museum Prinsenhof Delft, 11 October 2019 – 16 February 2020, Zwolle (2019), pp. 56 - 79.