TvB

Pieter Teding van Berkhout (1643-1713). Member of foremost family. One of the richest art collector, who visited Vermeer's atelier, twice in 1669 in order to meet Vermeer and see his works. The first time around was on 14 May, 1669 the second time on June 21. In his diary he wrote that the second time around he saw Vermeer and several paintings of this famous painter - with a curious and extraordinary perspective.

One whole chapter is devoted to him in: Jeroen Blaak, Geletterde levens, Hilversum 2004, p 103-166.

In the course of his Delft career he must have seen the stunning Vermeer collection at the home of Van Ruijven.

He gathered and inherited a major fine art collection. The 68 paintings could be described in these categories: 7 History, 17 Landscape, 10 Architecture, 4 Marine, 12 genre, 4 Still life, 14 Portrait.

See his aunt Cornelia Teding van Berkhout.

Teding became member of Delft Council of Fourty from 1675 onwards. In 1674 he lived at Dry Cooningen (Three Magi), Oude Delft number 123. During his lifetime his wealth in real estate and bonds holdings grew from 90,000 to 475,000 guilders making him exceptionally wealthy. The family also owned an estate just outside Delft. The first six years of his major diary (1669-1713) which is now kept in the Koninklijke Bibliotheek describe his social excursions.

Montias (in Vermeer Studies 1998, p. 99) describes how Constantijn Huygens' son Lodewijk married Pieter Teding's sister Jacobina (1643-1711) five years after Pieter's reported visit to Vermeer. Constantijn Huygens, private secretary to Prince Fredrik Hendrik, was the country's foremost art connaisseur who more or less "discovered" Rembrandt.

Note. Schmidt 1986, p. 83. His son Paulus (1676-1757) became board member of the East India Company. In Pieter's estate were two Camera Obscuras, microscopes and other scientific instruments, probably as a result of contacts with Christiaan Huygens (Schmidt p. 215 note 105). Family portraits, remains of the former fine arts collection are now in Collection Stichting Teding van Berkhout. "Journal de mes occupations et rencontres...", Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague, Manuscripts, 129 D 16, 14 May and 20 June. On 1669 when he still lived in The Hague he was visited by Huygens. Categories of painting in Domen, Exh. Cat. De Stad Delft 1981 p. 131.

His diary is discussed in Jeroen Blaak, Geletterde Levens, Hilversum, 2004.

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.