About the Lecture
Elmer Kolfin’s lecture is entitled “Kunst kiezen: de opdrachtverlening voor de monumentale schilderijen van de Batavencyclus voor het stadhuis van Amsterdam 1660-1664” (Dutch). It will take place on Tuesday 21 June at 17.00h at the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art. Tickets can be bought through the RKD website.
Read the Invitation (pdf)
About the Research Project
“Art, Patronage and Politics in the Batavian Cycle in the Town Hall of Amsterdam, 1645-1665”
Why did the burgomasters of Amsterdam favore the Antwerp painter Jacques Jordaens over local, Amsterdam painters for a large and prestigeous commission in Amsterdams town hall? This question leads to research on the meaning of the paintings, the artistic taste of Amsterdam’s ruling elite and the reception of Jordaens in the North.
For the paintings of the Batavian revolt in the Amsterdam Town Hall the Amsterdam burgomasters favored the Flemish painter Jacques Jordaens over local painters like Rembrandt, Lievens and Bol. This research examines the reasons for that. It brings together art history, history and Dutch literature. Chapter one analyses the paintings’ pictorial qualities and discusses the iconography, devised by burgomaster Cornelis de Graeff, in the context of political developments. Chapter two discusses De Graeff’s ideas on public art in relation to his social and political position. It combines archival- and art historical research with the analysis of literary texts. The study of Jordaens’ reception in the final chapter explores whether De Graeff’s ideas and expectations were consistent with what was known about Jordaens and his work.