Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), Delft

 

 

On the right hand side: Nieuwe Kerk on Market square. For its carillon and organ player and choir master who also owned a harpsichord see Dirk Jansz. Scholl (1641-1727).

Anthonij was the "voorlezer" or public-reader-aloud in the Nieuwe Kerk. On April 24, 1624 he discussed the art of painting with the visitor David Beck (1594-1634) who kept a detailed diary and reported on this conversation: "with whom I have had many talks about the arts" - "met wien ick mennigerley praetie hadde van de const," cited in Jeroen Blaak, Geletterde levens, Hilversum, 2004, p. 52. Beck's diary may be considered the finest down-to-earth one in seventeenth century Holland.

The spire shown in the print is a blunt one. The present day spire, reaching a height of 108,75 m high is taller and more pointed. It was built in 1872 after the old one collapsed in a fire.

Vermeer depicted this tower very prominent, almost two times too wide on his View of Delft. He managed to catch the tower in a dramatic spotlight, enhancing the spatial and dramatic effect within the painting.

To the right a detail of the New Church with the funerary monument to William the Silent of Orange ; painted by  Bartholomeus van Bassen (ca. 1590-1652). Architect and Painter of architectural perspectives, notably church interiors.

 

 

 

 

This page forms part of a large encyclopedic site on Delft. Research by Drs. Kees Kaldenbach (email). A full presentation is on view at johannesvermeer.info.

Launched 16 February 2001; Last update March 1, 2017