Jan van der Heyden - A View in Cologne [c.1660-65]

Jan van der Heyden - A View in Cologne [c.1660-65], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

The construction of Cologne Cathedral was begun in the middle of the 13th century, continued through the 14th and 15th centuries and was discontinued in the mid-16th century; it was only completed in 1842-80. Here, the unfinished cathedral is seen from the west. The crane on top of the tower was already in position by the second half of the 15th century, and was not removed until 1868. As the surrounding buildings and streets no longer exist, it is not possible to determine the accuracy of this view. Parts of the cathedral are incorrectly rendered. 

Van der Heyden executed a few landscapes and still lifes, but was chiefly a painter of townscapes, notable for their exceptionally detailed handling. Imaginary views, anticipating the capricci (imaginary topographical scenes) of 18th-century Venetian painters, are common among his works - the figures are often by other artists. Van der Heyden was a native of Gorinchem, though his family had moved to Amsterdam by 1650. He was trained, according to his biographer Houbraken, as a glass painter. Before 1661 he travelled extensively in the southern Netherlands and in Germany, making drawings later used in his paintings. From the late 1660s van der Heyden was also engaged in projects to improve street lighting and fire-fighting in Amsterdam.

[Oil on oak, 33.1 x 42.9 cm]