Royal Chamber in London

Bartholomeus van Bassen

Basic information

ID: Ж-22
Author: Bartholomeus van Bassen
Name: Royal Chamber in London
Date of creation: 17th c.
Country: Holland
Technique: oil painting
Material: wood oil
Dimensions (height x width, cm): 54.5 x 70.6

Additionally

Type: painting
Genre: architecture painting
Provenance: Collection of Lviv City Gallery
Exposition: Potocki Palace

Information about author

Author: Bartholomeus van Bassen
Artist's lifetime: c.1590–1652
Country: Holland
Biography: Bartholomeus van Bassen was one of the first Dutch artists to begin depicting buildings' interiors at the beginning of the 17th century. The master's exact date and place of birth are unknown. After joining the local Guild of Saint Luke, he was first mentioned as an artist in Harlem in 1613. Later, in 1622, the master moved to The Hague. Bartholomeus van Bassen specialised exclusively in depictions of church and palace interiors. The architect and artist Hans Vredeman de Vries developed this genre in Flanders, and later it spread to Holland. The Antwerp School strongly influenced Bartholomeus van Bassen's artworks, especially in his first dated work, "The Interior of the Antwerp Church". The painter collaborated with the Antwerp artist Frans Francken the Younger, who executed staffages for his works, and The Hague painter Esaias van de Velde.

Object description

Bartholomeus van Bassen changed from depictions of Gothic church interiors to Renaissance palaces in the 1620s. The Lviv work belongs to that period. Despite the name of the painting, "The Royal Chamber in London", the artist depicted imaginary palace interiors. The canvas composition is created using a clear geometric scheme, typical of the artist, which he borrowed from the Antwerp School. The palace's inner courtyard can be seen from under the palace arch. In the foreground, a carriage entering the yard, a guard, and an elegant couple are depicted. In the background, a carriage stands in the yard, next to which couples of noblemen are strolling. The rows of columns and the clear geometric structure of the marble floor enhance the visual realism of the space.

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Royal Chamber in London

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