Accession Number
1929.546
Medium
pen and brown ink and brush and brown wash over traces of graphite; framing lines in brown ink (iron gall)
Dimensions
Sheet: 15 x 23.2 cm (5 7/8 x 9 1/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Credit Line
Dudley P. Allen Fund
Tags
Drawing Baroque (1600–1750) Ink Graphite & Pencil Dutch Color: Orange Color: White
Background & Context
Background Story
Jacob van der Ulft (1621-1689) was a Dutch painter known for the precisely observed architectural paintings of Italian views that make him one of the most accomplished architectural painters of the Dutch Golden Age. View of Ancient Buildings from the second half of the 17th century depicts ancient buildings in the precisely observed, architectural manner that distinguishes van der Ulft's best work from the more general architectural painting of his contemporaries. The second half of the 17th century date places this in the period when Dutch architectural painting was producing some of its most accomplished works, and the ancient buildings subject shows van der Ulft's talent for depicting architecture with precise observation.
Cultural Impact
View of Ancient Buildings is important in the history of Dutch architectural painting because it demonstrates the precisely observed, architectural manner that van der Ulft brought to Italian views as one of the most accomplished architectural painters of the Dutch Golden Age. Van der Ulft's precisely observed architectural paintings of Italian views—documenting the architecture of ancient Italy with the precise observation that is his most distinctive contribution—represent one of the most accomplished traditions in Dutch architectural painting, and the second half 17th century painting shows this tradition at its most precisely observed.
Why It Matters
View of Ancient Buildings is van der Ulft's precisely observed Dutch architectural painting: ancient buildings rendered in the precise manner of one of the most accomplished architectural painters of the Dutch Golden Age. The second half 17th century painting shows the precise observation of architecture that makes Dutch architectural painting one of the most accomplished traditions.
