HW

Herman Witmond (c. 1605-1684). Marine painter, trained in Amsterdam 1636. Entered Delft Guild 1644. Address Gasthuislaan, eastern section. Herman or Heerman Witmond also drew design cartons for the Spierincx tapestry workshop. The manager, Maximiliaan van der Gucht, tried to pay Witmond in kind by selling him a house and accepting drawings worth 300 guilders in lieu of money (Knops, 2001, p. 28 and Oosterloo, p. 123).

One of Witmont's specialties were "pen paintings". These consist of finely detailed pen drawings in black indian or bister ink on a canvas or panel which was first prepared with a white ground. Other well known "pen painters" were the Haarlem painter Hendrick Goltzius, who invented the craft, and Willem van de Velde the Elder and Willem van de Velde the Younger, both of whom specialized in seascapes. Willem van de Velde the the Elder is thought to have started marine pen paintings around 1643. Willem van de Velde the Elder is mentioned in a 1653 document in which he gives his expert opinion on marine pen paintings by Henrick (error?) Witmond (see Knops, 2001, p. 27).

Most pen paintings of Dutch masters give the impression of being printed - graphic works of art. Only the artists Witmond has sometimes filled in water and skies with clouds in a light wash.

His works were in the Delft collections of painter De Haes and brewer Elsevier.

I do not know whether he is related to Mathias Withoos (see Houbraken)

Note. Exh. Cat Delftse Meesters, p. 37. GAD internet mention baptisms of children in 1642, 1648; Montias 1981 p. 201 gives death year as 1674, based on GAD Beydals. Gasthuislaan, Eastern section was known as 'Zusterslaan'; he was buried from there (according to Beydals). Literature: Aad Knops, Een Stuck van Witmond mette pen gedaen, Delft, Museum Paul Tetar van Elven, 2001. General literature: Jan H. Oosterloo, De Meesters van Delft, Strengholt Amsterdam, 1948: 123. Arnold Houbraken, De groote Schouburgh der Nederlantsche Konstschilders en Schilderessen, The Hague 1752 [2nd ed.] Book 2, page 186.

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.