A street in Cologne with the unfinished cathedral in the centre

Jan van der Heyden 1637 - 1712

Summary

Van der Heyden was renowned in his lifetime for his street scenes, which combine minute detail with a sense of space. In this view of Cologne in clear morning sunshine, figures stroll under trees while a woman sweeps the cobblestones. The scene is dominated by Cologne Cathedral, which was begun in the 13th century. The unusual structure visible on top is a crane, which was in place by the mid-1400s. The cathedral took centuries to build and the crane remained there for 400 years, becoming a landmark in itself, until it was taken down in 1868. Jan van der Heyden was based in Amsterdam, but frequently travelled in Flanders and Germany. He was mainly a painter of townscapes and depicted Cologne many times. He always paid meticulous attention to detail, especially when painting bricks. Here, he has even painted the weeds growing from the tower's dilapidated stonework. The 18th century artist-biographer Arnold Houbraken was so impressed with this painstaking technique that he noted ‘one could clearly see the mortar between their grooves'. This is probably the last of a group that Van der Heyden painted on the same subject (others are in the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, the National Gallery, London and the Wallace Collection, London) and is a simplified version of that in the Wallace Collection. The artist's interest in street scenes was practical, for he was involved in projects to improve street lighting and fire fighting in Amsterdam.

Display Label

A Street in Cologne with the Unfinished Cathedral in the Centre 1684 Jan van der Heyden 1637-1712 Oil on panel The unusual structure visible on top of Cologne cathedral is a crane, which was in place by the mid 1400s. The cathedral took centuries to build and the crane remained there for 400 years, becoming a landmark in itself. Jan van der Heyden was based in Amsterdam but frequently travelled in Flanders and Germany. He was mainly a painter of townscapes and depicted Cologne many times. He always paid meticulous attention to detail, especially when painting bricks. The 18th century artist-biographer Arnold Houbraken was so impressed with this painstaking technique that he noted ‘one could clearly see the mortar between their grooves’. Assheton Bennett bequest 1979.463